By Admin 
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has fiercely criticized the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, following his recent comments labeling social media in Nigeria as a “terrorist organization.”
The group, in a statement issued Thursday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Comrade Emma Powerful, described the Sultan’s remarks as not only “absurd,” but a calculated attempt to suppress the truth and silence voices exposing violence, particularly that linked to herdsmen.
According to IPOB, the Sultan’s call to criminalize social media reveals a deep-seated fear among the northern elite of being held accountable, rather than condemn the bloodshed, kidnappings, and land grabs allegedly carried out by Fulani militants over the years.
The Sultan, IPOB argues, appears more concerned with the platforms bringing these atrocities to light. quoting the proverbs “a clear conscience fears no accusation” and “the wicked flee when no one pursues,” the group accused him of trying to shift focus away from the victims and toward those who report the violence.
IPOB took aim not only at the Sultan but also at what it called a pattern of silence and misrepresentation by both the government and traditional institutions. It accused them of using the mainstream media to whitewash the violence as mere “farmer-herder clashes” or the work of generic “bandits,” thereby downplaying the scale and intent of the attacks. In contrast, social media has become a powerful tool for ordinary Nigerians to share eyewitness accounts, demand justice, and document the grim realities often ignored by official narratives.
The group warned that any attempt to censor or criminalize social media would fail, insisting that digital platforms are essential in the fight for truth and justice. “If the Sultan fears exposure, he should call on the terrorists to disarm,” IPOB declared.
“Nigerians and the international community are no longer in the dark. Social media has become the torchlight that reveals the hidden hands behind insecurity and oppression.”
While the Sultan’s remarks, made during the 17th Executive Committee Meeting of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council in Maiduguri, sparked backlash across the country, IPOB’s reaction represents a broader concern among marginalized groups about the growing hostility toward online activism and citizen journalism. The group reiterated its commitment to using all lawful means, including social media, to resist what it calls systemic oppression and to hold those in power accountable.
In a country where social media has become the lifeline for truth-telling, IPOB’s message is clear: the real threat isn’t the platform—it’s those who fear what it reveals.