Former Kaduna senator, Shehu Sani, has explained the dilemma of regulating social media in Nigeria, warning that such regulation risks trampling free speech and shielding governments from accountability.

His statement, made on X on Sunday, comes as the Department of State Services demands that X remove a controversial tweet by activist, Omoyele Sowore.

PUNCH Online reported earlier that Sowore, in a post in August, shared a video of President Bola Tinubu during a Brazil trip and labelled him a “criminal” over alleged corruption claims.

Consequently, DSS on Saturday wrote a letter to X, demanding that it delete Sowore’s and other related tweets.

In his post, Shehu acknowledged that social media can be used for harassment and violence, but regulating it can be detrimental, therefore, he argued that it must be handled carefully.

He urged the need to strike a balance between regulating social media and preserving democratic accountability.

He wrote, “If you regulate the social media, you trample on freedom of speech and shield governments, states, and institutions from being held accountable.

“If you don’t regulate the social media, it becomes a tool for hate, harassment, defamation, corrupting culture, and incitement to violence.”

Shehu said the dilemma is not unique to Nigeria, noting that “even Western democracies are confused about what to do with the social media.”

He warned that heavy-handed regulation would “trample on freedom of speech and shield governments, states and institutions from being held accountable,” while a lack of oversight risks turning platforms into “a tool for hate, harassment, defamation, corrupting culture and incitement to violence.”

“The social media is like a gun, it can be used to prevent murder and to commit murder,” he wrote, urging democratic states to strike and uphold “that balance between rights and decency.”