Arts & CultureEntertainmentFilmFG Moves to Ban Money Ritual Content In Movies, Sanitise Social Media

ABUJA — The Federal Government has directed filmmakers to stop promoting money ritual content in their movies.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, during a media visit to the headquarters of Media Trust Limited, publishers of ‘Daily Trust’ on Monday, said the Federal Government is worried that most young people are seeking to get rich at all costs.

The minister said the confession of some money ritual suspects that they learnt the heinous act on social media have boosted the resolve of the Federal Government to sanitise the social media.

He said,  “For those who may still be in doubt, ritual killings have assumed a worrisome dimension in recent years…Recently, in Ogun State, four young men, one of whom is 18 years old, murdered their 20-year-old female friend for money rituals.

“One of them said they learnt about using human parts for money rituals from social media. Of course, you are also aware of a case involving a female student of the University of Jos who was allegedly killed by her boyfriend for ritual purposes. These killings have been widely reported by the media.

“The fact that some of these ritualists said they learnt the money-making tricks from some social media platforms has given a further fillip to our campaign to rid social media of unwholesome content.”

He added, “Many have also blamed Nollywood for featuring money rituals in some of its movies, saying this has negatively influenced the vulnerable youth.

“To mitigate this, I have directed the National Film and Video Censors Board, the body set up to regulate the film and video industry in Nigeria, to take this issue into consideration while performing its role of censoring and classifying films and videos.

“I have also directed NFVCB to engage with stakeholders in the film industry in order to express the concerns of the government and Nigerians on the need to eschew money ritual content in their movies.”

Stressing that the Federal Government has no intention of stifling the media or constricting the social media space, he said the government won’t allow the social media space to be suffused with dangerous content, noting that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari won’t relent in its efforts to ensure responsible use of social media.

He disclosed that the Federal Government is planning to launch a national sensitisation campaign against ritual murders, adding that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) is already partnering religious and traditional organisations and “NGOs to forge behavioural change, especially among the youths, some of whom are afflicted by the get-rich-quick syndrome.”

The minister further appealed to religious, traditional and political leaders to be part of efforts to reorientate youths to realise that success comes through hard work, not money rituals.

“We appeal to religious, traditional, and political leaders to be part of efforts to reorientate our youth, in particular, to realise that success comes through hard work, not money rituals,” he said.