THE Federal Government has concluded plan to henceforth monitor social media posts and comments of notable Nigerians.

This move HEADLINE understands is to checkmate the propagation of hate speeches through various social media platforms.

The resolution is the outcome of a security meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday.

Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, who spoke at the security meeting about the disturbing trend of hate speeches across the nation, also described the situation as worrisome.

The government had last year through the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, promised that the Buhari’s administration would not regulate social media.

“We have said it before and we want to re-state it: the federal government has no immediate or long-term plan to stifle press freedom. Even the social media, with its warts and all, will neither be regulated nor have its operations tampered with,” he had said in January 2017.

Backtracking on it earlier promise, Ali who stood in for the government said, “Relevant security agencies should as a matter of urgency tackle the propagation of hate speeches through the social media, particularly by some notable Nigerians.”