By Hassan Osman Kargbo
The Director of Operations of the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), Assistant Inspector General – AIG Braima Jah has told newsmen in Freetown that social media is not a blessing but a threat to the country’s security sector. “Social media is not a blessing but rather a threat to the security sector of the country,” disclosed AIG Jah.
AIG Braima Jah Thursday 10th August 2023 made this revelation whiles addressing a press conference at Police Headquarter, George Street, Freetown. According to AIG Jah, social media is a course to the security sector rather than a blessing.
He noted that, for the SLP social media has been perceive as the greatest threat to the national security. The Police Chief added that during the just concluded elections, there were lots of messages from social media that seriously inciting.
“The greatest threat to security is social media. During our recent concluded general elections, social media was the platform that was used and continues to be used to spread disinformation, misinformation, propagandas, lies, fake news, incendiary messages, tribal/regional lines messages,” he said. He furthered that the misused of social media during election created a lot of tension and as a result caused difficulties for the security sector in the country.
AIG Jah noted due to the pro-activeness of the security sector during the electioneering period, they were able to sustain and maintained the peace and national security of the state.
He informed that most of the people who supported social media misusers and social media perpetrators are Sierra Leoneans who are residing in the diaspora. He said many of such kind of citizens did so because they are of the views that they are not in the country, and because of the law is not apply to them.
He empathized that those individuals are making a big mistake thinking of such. He reminded the media about the press release recently issued by the Sierra Leone Police that strictly warned citizens in the habit of sharing fake news or dangerous messages on social media that has the potential to hinder the security of the state to desist forthwith.
According to him, through the cyber unit of the SLP, the police have the mandate to investigate and if found guilty in the court of law, the said individual will be severely punished.
He called on all Sierra Leoneans to refrain from what he called ‘diabolic acts’ as whosoever found guilty most be ready to face the full penalty of the law.
He ended by stating that although everyone has right to freedom of expression, but there is responsibility attach to that freedom for which persons should not go against.
“Freedom of expression has limitations because in expressing your rights, you also have a responsibility not to temper with the rights of others or go against the laws of the land” he noted.
