The federal government has tackled Twitter for pulling down a contentious tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari wherein he threatened to attack and possibly kill those trying to disintegrate the country.
“They are the ones guilty of double standards”, said the Presidency.
In the tweet shared on Tuesday, Buhari had said he would treat Nigerians misbehaving in a language they understand.
He recounted happenings during the civil war and threatened to deal with those “bent on destroying” Nigeria through “insurrection.”
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” he had said.
The tweet was greeted with outrage and castigation, with many wondering why such hard line and threat was not directed at Boko Haram and bandits wreaking havoc in the country.
Many also reported the tweet and asked Twitter to suspend the president’s account. Following the uproar and widespread condemnation, Twitter deleted the message on Wednesday.
Reacting to the development, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Wednesday, accused social media giant, Twitter, of double standards.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, Mohammed said Twitter had persistently turned a blind eye to dangerous tweets by the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and others.
The minister said the social media giant also displayed the same prejudice during the #ENDSARS protest during which government and private property were either looted or destroyed.
He said Twitter’s role is suspect and Nigeria would not be hoodwinked, adding that the president is at liberty to make known his position on any topical issue and troubling situations in the country.
He said, “Twitter may have its own rules, they are not the universal rules. If Mr President, anywhere in the world, feels very bad and concern about a situation, he is free to express such views.
“Now, we should stop comparing apples with oranges. If an organization is proscribed, it is different from any other which is not proscribed. President Muhammadu Buhari
“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?
“They are the ones guilty of double standards. 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.”
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