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Nigeria Bans Twitter After President’s Threatening Tweet Is Deleted

HeadlineJun 07, 2021

Nigeria has ordered prosecutors to arrest anyone using Twitter, after banning the social media platform nationwide. Nigeria’s Ministry of Information announced Friday — ironically, in a tweet — that it had suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria. The crackdown came after Twitter deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened secessionists in southeastern Nigeria with violence. Many saw Buhari’s tweet as a threat of genocide against members of the minority Igbo group, who make up about 20% of Nigeria’s population. 

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