Nigerian Government Reacts As Twitter Deletes President Buhari’s Tweet For Violating Rules

The Nigerian Government has condemned the decision of Twitter to remove a post by President Muhammadu Buhari which threatened to deal with “those misbehaving today” in “the language they will understand”.

KanyiDaily recalls that Buhari had threatened to give ‘civil war-like attention’ on those promoting insurrection and attacking national assets in Nigeria’s southeast region, adding that his government will “treat them in the language they understand.”

“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War.

“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” the now deleted tweet posted via his official twitter account read in part.

The tweet had widespread condemnations, with many Nigerians criticising the president especially for making reference to the civil war in which millions of Igbos were killed.

Some Nigerians called on Twitter to suspend his account, claiming the president used a tone which they believed was much stronger than he had used in his condemnation of acts of banditry or attacks by Boko Haram militants in the north.

However, Twitter on Wednesday deleted the offensive tweet which violated the social media company’s abusive behaviour policy, leading to a 12-hour suspension of President Buhari’s account.

Reacting to the development after the Federal executive council (FEC) on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed accused Twitter of double standards in handling the issue.

Mohammed said the social media platform chose ignore the inciting messages from the proscribed organizations but was quick to enforce its rules on the president.

“Twitter may have its own rules, it’s not the universal rule. If Mr President, anywhere in the world, feels very bad and concerned about a situation, he is free to express such views. If an organisation is proscribed, it is different from any other which is not proscribed.

“Two, any organisation that gives directives to its members to attack police stations, to kill policemen, to attack correctional centres, to kill warders, and you are now saying that Mr President does not have the right to express his dismay and anger about that?

“I don’t see anywhere in the world where an organisation, a person will stay somewhere outside Nigeria, and will direct his members to attack the symbols of authority, the police, the military, especially when that organisation has been proscribed. By whatever name, you can’t justify giving orders to kill policemen or to kill anybody you do not agree with,” Mr Mohammed said.

Buhari’s threat comes barely 24 hours after Igbos marked this year’s annual Biafra Remembrance Day to honour Biafran heroes killed during the 1966 civil war.