Meanwhile, Federal Government said it had the option of shutting down the social media during the #EndSARS protests, but elected not to because of its commitment to the rights of citizens.

Minister of Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare, who made the revelation when he appeared on a live television programme, said there was danger if Nigeria failed to regulate the social media.

“Where you have fake news destroying lives, the government has a responsibility to make sure that there is a level of control. It is not censorship, but some level of control. The talk about the regulation of social media has been around for a while. We’ve seen other countries taking practical steps in that direction, this country has not done that.

“Even during the #EndSARS protests, the country had an option, but the country never went for that final option.There was no time the cyberspace was shut down, people were still able to connect themselves through the various social media platforms. The protests brought home the dangers of fake news,” he said.