Clarion Call for Justice: The Free Nnamdi Kanu Protest is a Nigerian Movement

 Clarion Call for Justice: The Free Nnamdi Kanu Protest is a Nigerian Movement

As the October 20, 2025, Free Nnamdi Kanu protest approaches, organizers are setting the record straight: this is a Nigerian-led movement, spearheaded by activist Omoyele Sowore, and not an initiative of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The need for this clarification stems from a well-documented pattern by the Nigerian government and media to falsely associate any dissent with IPOB, a tactic used to discredit and suppress activism. For instance, during the recent End Bad Governance protests, authorities attempted to link the movement to IPOB despite no evidence, using the association to justify clampdowns. By issuing this preemptive statement, organizers aim to protect the rally's integrity and prevent the government from weaponizing misinformation to undermine a just cause.

The Free Nnamdi Kanu rally is rooted in a unified demand for justice against the state’s persecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader detained for his political advocacy of Biafran self-determination. This protest is not about IPOB but about challenging the wrongful detention of a citizen for their beliefs. Nigerians from diverse backgrounds are rallying behind Sowore’s call, driven by a shared commitment to human rights and opposition to authoritarian overreach. The movement transcends ethnic or regional divides, focusing on the principle that no one should be punished for their political views. By framing the protest as a national effort, organizers hope to galvanize widespread support while countering any attempts to misrepresent the event as an IPOB protest.

With endorsements growing from individuals of conscience across Nigeria and beyond, this notice serves as a critical defense against the government’s predictable strategy of dragging IPOB into the narrative to silence dissent. The October 20 rally is a clarion call for all who value fairness to stand against state-sponsored blackmail and demand Kanu’s unconditional release. Organizers urge the global community to recognize the protest for what it is: a Nigerian movement for justice, not division. As the date approaches, the message is clear—Nigerians will march for freedom, undeterred by attempts to distort their purpose or suppress their voices.

Sowore Calls Out Soludo, Abaribe, and Obi: Time to March to Aso Rock for Kanu’s Release

   Sowore Calls Out Soludo, Abaribe, and Obi: Time to March to Aso Rock for Kanu’s Release

On October 7, 2025, Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian activist and founder of the #RevolutionNow movement, issued a clarion call for action, challenging Southeast leaders and citizens to join a peaceful march to Aso Rock Villa in Abuja to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). In a fiery social media post, Sowore specifically called out Anambra Governor Charles Soludo, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Abia Governor Alex Otti, and former presidential candidate Peter Obi, urging them to move beyond rhetoric and join a collective push for justice. As Kanu’s detention drags into its fifth year, Sowore’s challenge has sparked renewed debate about Nigeria’s handling of self-determination voices and the Southeast’s political will.

Sowore’s challenge, posted on X under the hashtag #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, was both a rallying cry and a direct indictment of what he called “empty noise” from leaders who claim to support Kanu’s release. “I will set aside my differences with some politicians for one cause,” Sowore wrote. “I challenge every politician or person of good conscience from the Southeast who says they want @NnamdiKanu released to stop the rhetoric. Time for action is NOW. Let’s march to Aso Rock Villa.”

The post explicitly named Soludo, Abaribe, Otti, and Obi, alongside traditional rulers, priests, and everyday Nigerians, to join a “peaceful, legal, and visible” march to demand an end to Kanu’s “persecution.” Sowore, who promised to lead the protest, framed it as a unified stand against what he and Kanu’s supporters see as selective justice by the Nigerian government.

Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB’s leader, was abducted in Kenya in June 2021 and rendition to Nigeria without legal extradition proceedings. A 2022 Court of Appeal ruling ordered his release, citing an unlawful arrest, but the federal government’s appeal led to the Supreme Court overturning the decision in December 2023. As of October 8, 2025, Kanu remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), with his trial stalled by adjournments, the latest in April 2025. His prolonged detention has fueled unrest in the Southeast, including attacks by “unknown gunmen,” and drawn criticism from groups like Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who argue his release is key to regional stability.

Sowore’s call is rooted in his long history of confronting Nigeria’s political establishment. A former publisher of Sahara Reporters and two-time presidential candidate for the African Action Congress, Sowore has faced his own arrests, including in 2021 while attending Kanu’s trial. He revealed in 2023 that he participated in secret talks to secure Kanu’s release, which were derailed by political interests in Imo State fearing electoral fallout. Sowore’s #FearlessInOctober protests, launched on October 7, 2025, also demanded freedom for Kanu and other detainees from the #EndBadGovernance and #EndSARS movements, aligning his latest challenge with a broader fight against state repression.

Sowore’s challenge has resonated with Kanu’s supporters. Senator Abaribe, a vocal advocate for Kanu, reiterated his demand for release in October 2025 but has not confirmed participation in the proposed march at the time of filling this report. 

Soludo, Otti, and Obi have remained silent on the challenge, focusing instead on state governance or national economic critiques. Critics, including some Northern voices, have labeled the call divisive, with former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad calling Kanu’s advocates “enemies.” Sowore countered, describing Kanu as a “hostage” denied due process. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has since joined the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow campaign, staging protests in solidarity.

Sowore’s challenge highlights Nigeria’s ethnic and political fault lines. While Yoruba and Northern leaders have secured leniency for agitators like Sunday Igboho and Bello Bodejo, Kanu’s detention underscores accusations of selective justice against the Igbo. IPOB has warned that continued inaction could deepen regional alienation. If the march materializes, it could pressure President Bola Tinubu’s administration, especially with 2027 elections looming. However, Sowore’s own history,arrested during #RevolutionNow protests suggests the government may respond with force, risking further escalation.

As Kanu’s trial lingers, Sowore’s call tests the courage of Southeast leaders and the resilience of Nigeria’s civic space. Will Soludo, Abaribe, Otti, and Obi join the march to Aso Rock, or will the cry for Kanu’s freedom remain, as Sowore put it, “empty noise”? For now, the nation watches, and the hashtag #FreeNnamdiKanuNow continues to trend. 

Family Writers Press International.

"I Pray Nigeria Never Happens to Me": Sommie Maduagwu’s Prophetic Cry and a Nation’s Unheeded Warning

 "I Pray Nigeria Never Happens to Me": Sommie Maduagwu’s Prophetic Cry and a Nation’s Unheeded Warning

In a single tweet, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, known to millions as Sommie, distilled the quiet dread of a nation: “I pray from the depth of my heart that Nigeria never happens to me or anyone I care about.” Posted months before her tragic death on September 29, 2025, those words have become a haunting epitaph for the 29-year-old ARISE News journalist, whose life was stolen in alleged brutal armed robbery at her Katampe home in Abuja. Sommie’s statement, raw and resonant, wasn’t just a personal fear, it was a piercing indictment of Nigeria’s systemic failures, a plea that reverberated across social and beyond, exposing the perils that stalk even the nation’s brightest stars.

Born on December 26, 1995, in Enugu, Sommie grew up steeped in Igbo resilience, the third of five children in a family where education and integrity were non-negotiable. Her law degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, was a foundation, but journalism was her calling. At ARISE News, she transformed evening bulletins into compelling narratives, her sharp intellect and warm delivery making her a household name. Off-screen, she was a mentor, a friend who organized newsroom jollof rice runs, and a covert ally to activists, slipping tips to those fighting for women’s rights in Nigeria’s volatile north. Colleagues dubbed her “The Beacon” for her ability to illuminate truths in a country often cloaked in corruption’s fog.

Sommie’s life was a bridge between worlds. A 2022 fellowship in London earned her dual citizenship, and she fell in love with the Thames’ calm and the freedom of rainy anonymity. Yet, Nigeria’s fire drew her back. In 2025, she settled in Katampe, Abuja, planning a November wedding to her fiancé, Chidi, and a 30th birthday bash filled with makossa and laughter. Her latest project an exposé on urban insecurity was set to challenge Nigeria’s complacency. But her tweet, that raw prayer, hinted at the fear she carried: that the nation she loved might betray her.

The Tweet That Foretold Tragedy 

“I pray Nigeria never happens to me.” To Nigerians, the phrase needs no translation. It’s the fear of a nation where systemic dysfunction, corrupt policing, fuel shortages, unchecked crime can snuff out lives without warning.  Sommie’s tweet, shared in a moment of vulnerability, captured a universal anxiety. On X, users echoed her sentiment: “Nigeria happening” is the robbery that leaves you penniless, the hospital without power, the police car without fuel. For Sommie, a journalist exposing urban crime, the fear was likely sharper, her work a beacon that could draw danger.

On September 29, 2025, her prayer went unanswered. In the early hours, three hooded robbers breached her Katampe home, machetes gleaming. Sommie’s call to emergency services was met with excuses: no patrol cars, no fuel. As the intruders stormed her bedroom, demanding valuables, she wielded her courage like a weapon. “Your faces will haunt broadcasts,” she reportedly said, defiant to the end. In the chaos, she fled to her third-floor balcony, only to fall or be pushed to the concrete below. Relatives, alerted by a desperate call to her friend Ada, rushed her to Garki Hospital in a private cab, but Nigeria’s delays had already claimed her. She was pronounced dead, her light extinguished at 29.

The tweet resurfaced hours after her death, retweeted thousands of times, each share a stab of grief and rage. X became a digital wake, with #JusticeForSommie and #EndInsecurityNow trending alongside her words. “She knew,” one user wrote. “She saw Nigeria’s shadows and still fought them.” Another posted, “Her prayer was ours, but Nigeria keeps happening.” ARISE News aired tributes, replaying Sommie’s final report on youth resilience, a cruel mirror to her own unbreakable spirit. The Information Minister vowed justice, but X users were skeptical, demanding systemic change: “Fuel the ambulances. Arm the police. Honor Sommie with action.”

Her statement laid bare Nigeria’s fault lines. Insecurity plagues cities like Abuja, with 2025 seeing a spike in armed robberies, 1,247 reported cases in the capital alone, per police data shared on X. Emergency services falter under fuel scarcity and underfunding, a reality Sommie faced in her final moments. Her exposé, left unfinished on her ransacked laptop, aimed to name these failures. Her death, instead, became their starkest proof.

Sommie’s fear wasn’t weakness; it was clarity. She saw Nigeria’s potential and its peril, choosing to fight for the former despite the latter. Her fiancé, Chidi, clutched her engagement ring, vowing to carry her dreams. Ada’s eulogy cut deep: “Sommie prayed Nigeria wouldn’t happen to her, but she never stopped trying to fix it. We owe her that fight.” The Sommie Fellowship, launched by young journalists, will train women to wield truth as she did, ensuring her voice echoes.

Her tweet, once a prayer, is now a challenge. Petitions flood the National Assembly, demanding fuel reforms for emergency services and community patrols in Katampe. On X, #SommiesPrayer trends alongside calls for accountability. Her words have ignited a reckoning, a demand that Nigeria stop “happening” to its people. 

A Prayer Unfinished

Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu’s tweet was more than a fear it was a warning, a mirror held to a nation’s soul. Nigeria happened to her, but her legacy demands it happen no more. From the ashes of her loss, a movement stirs one where truth tellers are protected, where ambulances arrive, where no one prays to survive their homeland. Sommie’s light endures, not in the silence of her grave, but in the fire of those who carry her words forward. 

Family Writers Press International.

Planned Slow-Neutralisation Of Nnamdi Kanu: Igbo Political Betrayal And The Struggle For Biafra Decolonisation

Planned Slow-Neutralisation Of Nnamdi Kanu: Igbo Political Betrayal And The Struggle For Biafra Decolonisation

The decolonisation of Biafra from the lingering British delusion of holding the Biafran people perpetually in bondage is at the heart of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s struggle and suffering. Today, the IPOB leader is slowly dying in the dungeon of the Nigerian Department of State Services(DSS) for daring to lead his people towards freedom.

Unfortunately, many Igbo politicians have reduced themselves to sycophants and willing tools for the continued marginalisation and suppression of Biafra within the contraption called Nigeria. Surely, history has already recorded their betrayal, and generations of unborn Biafrans will never forget the roles they played in sabotaging this noble cause championed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Acts of Betrayal:

1. Operation Python Dance: Igbo politicians facilitated the military invasion of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s home in an attempt to silence him and crush the agitation for Biafra.

2. Proscription of IPOB: They were the masterminds behind the proscription of IPOB as a terrorist organisation while their nothern counterparts shield Fulani terrorists and bandits facilitate their government pardon. But IPOB members have been abducted, detained, and killed.

3. Extraordinary Rendition: These same politicians played a hand in the abduction of Nnamdi Kanu from Kenya and his illegal transfer to Nigeria. They hoped to use false witnesses and kangaroo trials to jail him, but IPOB’s legitimacy and discipline frustrated their plans. Blindfolded and bound, Kanu was poisoned in custody, left to die slowly.

4. Infiltration Attempts: They recruited infiltrators to weaken IPOB. Yet, the movement’s strict code of conduct and disciplinary structure have consistently exposed and separated the chaff from the wheat.

The IPOB struggle for Biafra is a legitimate quest for political independence, self-governance, and the reassertion of indigenous culture, language, and identity; an aspiration that intensified after World War II and the wave of global decolonisation.

Despite persecution, IPOB has remained committed to non-violent resistance. The movement continues to build institutions, preserve cultural legacies, and educate Biafrans to decolonise themselves from the “One Nigeria” brainwashing mantra.

For over a century, Biafrans have suffered under the shackles of death, pain, and systemic exploitation. At the root of this lies the British neocolonial agenda, aimed at controlling Biafra’s abundant natural and mineral resources. This is why Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was kidnapped and remains incarcerated.

The Call For Freedom:

(a) Biafra deserves self-rule and political sovereignty.

(b) If the United Nations and the Soviet Union could support global decolonisation after World War II, then IPOB’s demand is just: a UN-supervised referendum for the people of Biafra to decide their future outside colonised Nigeria.

The World should be aware that Silently killing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is part of the British-Nigerian plan. By eliminating him and leaving Biafra to the same sycophantic Igbo politicians, they hope to hand over a weakened, unstable state with fragile institutions and stunted growth. But they should be aware of the unimaginable consequences too. 

IPOB’s resilience has shown that Biafra is not built around one man alone; it is a people’s movement, a collective call for freedom, justice, and survival. So, there are more than a million more Nnamdi Kanu out there who will ensure that Nigeria suffers greatly for their atrocities. 

Family Writer Press International

The Biafran Quest Under Attack: Why IPOB Must Guard Her Unity

    The Biafran Quest Under Attack: Why IPOB Must Guard Her Unity

For the umpteenth time, the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) is a self determination movement of the people of Biafra. It is a movement seeking the restoration of the autonomy that the people of Biafra had for 3 years. There was a country called Biafra between 1967 — 1970. 

For context, Nigeria was a country made up of four autonomous regions — Western, Eastern, Mid-western and Northern regions. As the colonial emperor, Britain, interfered with the political process, a military coup that led to a pogrom occurred. The killing of people from the Eastern region was outrageous, warranting that as an aftermath of a violation of a peace accord in Aburi, Ghana by the Gowon led Nigerian government, a Republic of Biafra was declared as a last survival resort.

However, the strategic and geopolitical position of the nascent country as a deposit of trillions of cubic feet of oil and gas and other essential minerals immediately condemned her as an enemy of the economically interested world powers led by the United States of America, acting through a proxy —the United Kingdom. These conglomerate of hostile nations feared the ingenuity and infrastructural development such unhindered access to mammoth raw material, an already thriving Eastern Nigeria would produce. So they covertly and overtly waged a war of annihilation.

Over 50 years after the genocidal war has seemingly come to a ceasefire, the descendants of the survivors are asking for a referendum to decide their fate in Nigeria and bring the war to an agreeable end. The Indigenous People of Biafra represents the people making the demand.

IPOB was founded on a core value called nonviolence. Her leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, created an administrative department called the Directorate of State (DOS) to run the day to day activity of the organization through a Command and Control principle.

The members of IPOB are under oath to obey the leadership, regardless of whether or not they personally agree with the order. Doing otherwise would strategically undermine cohesion and breed disloyalty. It is commonsensical that an organization as IPOB is not for expression of personal feelings or pursuit of individual glory. It is a collective that seeks the overall good of a whole. It is based off an underlying understanding that a whole (community) is greater than a unit (one). The ultimate goal, however, is for the community to be united: to become one.

Recently, some persons either mischievously or ignorantly have been promoting a divisive, deceptive and misleading rhetoric. They appear clearly ambitious, even sponsored. From their body language, it is clear that they feel that somehow, because Mazi Nnamdi Kanu mentioned their names as good writers before his kidnapping ordeal, they love Mazi Nnamdi Kanu more than anyone else. They want IPOB to be another community meeting where everyone can shout and act without decorum. 

The cowardly argument they are making that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who is under torture in solitary confinement in Nigerian DSS dungeon, is under imminent and present danger from an organization he leads and not from the criminal Nigerian government persecuting him is laughable but also indicative of whose narrative they are pushing. It is exactly what Nigerian mainstream media is promoting: disloyalty, disregard and distraction to IPOB’s Command and Control.

Instead of focusing energy to attacking the criminal Nigerian government, they are willingly serving as a tool of distraction. Sowing doubts in the minds of Biafrans and publicly defying the IPOB leadership —the DOS. The aim is to intentionally mislead the gullible public  and to help Nigerian government create a parallel DOS; a DOS that will follow a predetermined script. They intend to achieve this by creating an artificial crisis and a show-off gig by power grabbers. But, it is shameful as it is dead on arrival.

That said, it is imperative on all members of IPOB at all levels to jealously guard the unity of purpose that exist in the movement. This unity and passion which the enemies have fought vigorously to fracture but it survived at all times, must continually be protected, because the fight is not over. 

Family Writers Press International

Hypocrisy in Justice: Nigeria's Dialogue with Bandit Kingpins While Nnamdi Kanu Languishes in Detention Without Medical Care

Hypocrisy in Justice: Nigeria's Dialogue with Bandit Kingpins While Nnamdi Kanu Languishes in Detention Without Medical Care

In a nation plagued by insecurity, ethnic tensions, and cries for self-determination, the Nigerian government's recent actions reveal a glaring double standard that undermines the very fabric of justice and human rights. On one hand, officials in Katsina State have engaged in "peace deals" with notorious bandit leaders, including Isiya Kwashen Garwa, a wanted terrorist with a N5 million bounty on his head for orchestrating killings, kidnappings, and terror in the North-West. On the other, the federal government persists in the prolonged detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), denying him even basic medical attention despite his deteriorating health. This selective approach to reconciliation and punishment not only exposes ethnic bias but also risks escalating Nigeria's fragile peace.

The Bandit "Peace Deal": Rewarding Terror with Dialogue

Just days ago, on September 14 and 15, 2025, community leaders and government representatives in Katsina State's Faskari Local Government Area hosted a so-called peace meeting with armed bandit commanders. Garwa, declared wanted by the Nigerian Defence Headquarters in 2022 for his role in a wave of atrocities, openly attended the dialogue in Hayin Gada, strapped with ammunition around his waist. Flanked by other kingpins like Ado Alero and Babaro equally accused of leading deadly assaults, including the Mantau Mosque attack, he positioned himself as an "advocate for dialogue." Videos from the event show these criminals engaging with locals and traditional rulers, vowing to end violence only if "injustices" against Fulani herders are addressed.

This is not isolated. Banditry has terrorized northern Nigeria for over a decade, displacing communities, crippling economies, and claiming countless lives. Past attempts at amnesty by state governments have been criticized for emboldening criminals rather than deterring them. Yet, here we are again, the government opting for negotiation over prosecution. Security analyst Zagazola Makama reported Garwa's "sudden posture" as a peace advocate, but skeptics, including controversial cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, warn against provoking these groups implying a tacit acceptance of their power. 

Gumi even cautioned security forces against disrupting the fragile truce. Why the leniency? Critics argue it's a pragmatic, if desperate, response to the government's inability to curb the violence through force. But it sends a dangerous message: terrorism pays if you're in the right region. Garwa, linked to raids across Katsina and neighboring states, walks free to "talk peace" while his victims' families seek justice. This "deal" isn't reconciliation; it's capitulation, rewarding bloodshed with legitimacy.

Now let us talk about Nnamdi Kanu's Plight, Prolonged Detention and Medical Neglect

Contrast this with the treatment of Nnamdi Kanu, a British-Nigerian activist arrested in 2021 and held in solitary confinement by the Department of State Services (DSS) ever since. Kanu, who advocates for Biafran independence through nonviolent means like broadcasts on Radio Biafra, faces terrorism charges for alleged sit-at-home orders and incitement charges IPOB dismiss as politically motivated. His trial, ongoing under Justice James Omotosho at the Federal High Court in Abuja, has dragged on for years, marked by procedural delays and jurisdictional disputes. The Court of Appeal discharged him in October 2022, ruling his rendition from Kenya unlawful and stripping the court of jurisdiction. 

Yet, the Supreme Court remitted the case back in December 2023, a decision IPOB called "judicial fraud." From October 2022 to December 2023, Kanu was detained without fresh charges a blatant violation of the Nigerian Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has deemed his imprisonment illegal, calling for his release and compensation. Even the UK government, of which Kanu is a citizen, has been accused by IPOB of complicity through silence. Worse still is the denial of medical care. 

As of September 2025, Kanu's health has plummeted. Recent examinations by a team led by Emeritus Professor Austin A.C. Agaji revealed liver and kidney complications, critically low potassium levels, and a suspicious armpit swelling that could indicate malignancy or infection. His brother, Emmanuel Kanu, deposed in a 14-page affidavit that Nnamdi has complained of persistent weakness and body pains. Doctors recommended immediate transfer to the National Hospital in Abuja, but the DSS has ignored their letter. On September 15, 2025, Justice Musa Liman deferred a motion for this transfer, citing jurisdictional issues during court vacation, and returned the file to the Chief Judge for reassignment, delaying potentially life-saving intervention. This isn't new. 

Kanu has a history of heart issues, hypertension, and an enlarged heart, with solitary confinement exacerbating his condition. His lawyers, including Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), argue that the DSS's refusal to allow private doctors access constitutes "state-sponsored suppression" and cruel treatment. IPOB media and publicity secretary Emma Powerful calls it a ploy to silence a "prisoner of conscience" whose Biafran advocacy threatens the status quo. In court, Kanu himself has pleaded, "I am dying in DSS custody," even lifting his shirt to show growths under his armpits.

The Double Standard: Ethnic Bias and Eroding Trust

Human rights lawyer Chief Malcolm Emokiniovo Omirhobo captured the hypocrisy perfectly: "The Nigerian government cannot justify such glaring double standards. If a wanted bandit can be offered dialogue and freedom, then there is absolutely no moral or legal basis for keeping Nnamdi Kanu behind bars." Why court reconciliation with Garwa, a confirmed criminal responsible for mass terror, while Kanu a political agitator languishes without trial or treatment? The answer lies in ethnicity: bandits operate in the Fulani-dominated North, where dialogue aligns with political expediency, while Kanu's led IPOB challenges the federation from the Eastern region.

This selective justice fuels division. Protests erupted across Biafra land upon Kanu's initial arrest in 2015, and his continued detention sparked international petitions to the US, UK, EU, and others. Kanu himself petitioned 20 foreign missions on August 22, 2025, demanding enforcement of prior court rulings and his release. Meanwhile, northern banditry "peace deals" risk normalizing crime, as past amnesties collapsed into renewed violence. The federal government's approach erodes public trust. 

A Call for Equity and Release

Nigeria cannot preach unity while practicing division. The government must release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally, as demanded by international bodies, and provide him immediate medical care. True peace requires consistent justice: prosecute bandits like Garwa, not dialogue with them as equals. Until then, these actions expose a regime more interested in suppression than reconciliation, dooming the nation to further fragmentation. The time for double standards is over. Release Kanu, heal the divides, and let justice be blind not biased by tribe or terror.

Protecting Our Daughters: The Urgent Need to Teach Morals in the Age of Social Media

  Protecting Our Daughters: The Urgent Need to Teach Morals in the Age of Social Media

In today’s digital age, social media has become a powerful force shaping culture, behavior, and perceptions. While it offers opportunities for connection and creativity, it also presents significant challenges, particularly for young girls growing up in a world flooded with questionable content. As a society, we must recognize the dangers posed by the decline in decency and morals on social media platforms and take proactive steps to protect our daughters. If you have a baby girl, start teaching her morals at a tender age and help her understand the risks of social media. The behaviors we’re witnessing online, especially from some grown women, are far from encouraging, and without intervention, they could have a lasting impact on the next generation.

The current state of social media is alarming. Too often, we see content that prioritizes attention over integrity, with individuals many of whom are role models by default engaging in shameless behavior for the sake of likes, views, or viral fame.

 The absence of decency is striking. Grown adults, who should know better, seem to have abandoned shame, disregarding how their actions reflect on themselves, their families, or their communities. One can’t help but wonder, don’t these individuals have village people, family members, business associates, or street friends who hold them to a higher standard? Even when creating content, is it too much to ask for a baseline of respect for oneself, for one’s children, and for the general public?

This erosion of values is not just a personal failing, it’s a societal crisis. Our society is becoming something else a place where shame and decency are increasingly rare. The consequences of this shift are profound, especially for young girls who are impressionable and vulnerable to the influences they encounter online. Social media is a double edged sword, it can inspire and educate, but it can also normalize behaviors that undermine self-respect and moral integrity. If we fail to protect our daughters, they risk internalizing these negative examples, believing that shamelessness is a path to success or acceptance.

Parents have a critical role to play in countering this trend. From a young age, girls must be taught the importance of morals, values like self-respect, dignity, and empathy. These lessons should be coupled with conversations about the dangers of social media, where curated personas often mask reality and promote harmful ideals. Teaching media literacy is equally vital, equipping girls to critically evaluate the content they consume and recognize the difference between authentic self-expression and performative excess. By instilling these principles early, parents can help their daughters navigate the digital world with confidence and integrity.

The responsibility doesn’t end with parents. Society as a whole must reflect on the example we’re setting. It’s disheartening to see some parents themselves contributing to the problem, seemingly unconcerned about the legacy they’re leaving for their children. When adults prioritize fleeting online fame over decency, they not only diminish themselves but also fail their families and communities. We must ask ourselves, what kind of world are we creating for the next generation? If we allow shamelessness to become the norm, we risk raising a generation that values attention over character.

This is not to say that social media is inherently bad. It can be a platform for empowerment, education, and positive change. However, the current trend of prioritizing Immorality and ugly eyesore behavior by supposed mothers over substance demands our attention. We must do everything possible to protect our daughters from the dangers of unchecked social media influence. This means fostering environments, both at home and in our communities where morals are celebrated, and decency is non-negotiable. It means holding ourselves and others accountable for the content we create and consume. And it means modeling the behavior we want our children to emulate.

The stakes are high. The girl child is watching, learning, and forming her sense of self in a world where social media amplifies both the best and worst of human behavior. Let’s commit to guiding her toward a path of integrity, teaching her that true worth lies not in viral moments but in the values she upholds. As parents, as communities, as a society, we must act now to protect our daughters and preserve the moral fabric of our world. The future depends on it.

Emeka Gift 

For Family Writers Press International.