trauma instrumentalised

Buhari’s Deleted Tweet and the Ghost of Nigeria’s Civil War

By David Hundeyin

Premium badge Reserved for subscribers

Posted on June 10, 2021 08:42

A supporter of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu holds a Biafra flag during a rally in support of Kanu, who is expected to appear at a magistrate court in Abuja
A supporter of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu holds a Biafra flag during a rally in support of Kanu, who is expected to appear at a magistrate court in Abuja, Nigeria December 1, 2015. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

The tweet written by President Buhari that Twitter deleted resuscitated the fears and ghosts of Nigeria’s brutal civil war — one that still reverberates through politics today. The spectacle of a Nigerian President – who himself took part in the genocidal events of 1967-1970 – using Nigeria’s most traumatic national event to expressly and openly threaten an ethnic group on Twitter is an outrage.

“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.”

On 1 June 2021, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted the above message as part of a lengthy thread speaking on a diverse range of issues. Within 24 hours the tweet had vanished, replaced by a message stating that it was removed for violating Twitter’s rules. Thus began one of the more unlikely global firestorm of 2021, bringing in everyone from Nigeria’s Attorney-General Abubakar Malami to former US President Donald Trump.

Why did Twitter take the unprecedented action of removing a tweet posted by the verified account of a sitting head of state, and what are the ramifications of President Buhari’s tweet and subsequent actions?

There's more to this story

Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.

Subscribe Now

cancel anytime