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SocialMediaTrends: Jagaban’s appeal, Garba’s lawsuit, Coomassie’s apology & other stories

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4 years ago

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As the #EndSARS protest across the country got to its climax on Tuesday, Twitter users engaged in conversations using more phrases than hashtags, with several unfortunate incidences occurring.

A few hashtags like #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria, #EndSARSImmediately and #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeriaNow kept the conversations and engagements going. These and more were trends that got the most attention:

Jagaban

This nickname of former governor of Lagos State and chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, began to trend on Twitter early Tuesday after he released a statement appealing to #EndSARS protesters nationwide to end their demonstrations.

While validating the genuine reasons for their agitation, Tinubu called on the protesters to give the government a chance to implement their demands by calling off the protests.

Most #EndSARS protesters however disregarded the former governor’s appeal, as they have gone on to call on the government to take immediate actions.

Hussain Coomassie UN

Nigeria’s United Nations (UN) Ambassador for Peace and Social Justice, Hussain Coomassie, who was bashed three days ago for his anti-#EndSARS comments, hit Twitter’s trends table again on Tuesday after Nigerian youths began signing a petition to strip him of his UN ambassadorial title.

Coomassie had on the 17th of October called on President Muhammadu Buhari to adopt the use of force on #EndSARS protesters.

“There are certain things that should be handled with iron fist” he said “If the police fails to do what they’re supposed to do (on the protesters), bring the military. If the military fails, we the patriotic citizens will go against the miscreants, we’ll face them,” he said in a video.

Following the bashings that trailed his comments, the ambassador tendered an apology to the protesters for speaking ill of their cause.

Read Also: SocialMediaTrends: #SideWithNigeria, queer lives matter, Benin prisonbreak and other stories

Orile Iganmu

It was anything but a peaceful morning at the Orile Iganmu axis of Lagos State after a police station was set ablaze in the early hours of the day.

The fire, said to have broken out only a few hours before the scheduled time for protests, was allegedly the handiwork of hoodlums in the area as #EndSARS protesters denied responsibility for the attack.

Although the cause of the fire is still being investigated, it was however gathered that a trigger happy police officer had fired at a group of ‘protesters’ for allegedly attempting to create a roadblock in front of the police station. The open fire, which reportedly left three dead, was said to be the origin of the pandemonium.

Following the news of this and other chaotic incidences in the state, the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, imposed a 24-hour curfew in Lagos from 4:00p.m Tuesday.

https://twitter.com/jagganiyu/status/1318509272339271680?s=08

Ahmadu Bello

Tension grew along Ahmadu Bello Way and Terminus in Jos, Plataeu State, as hoodlums and thugs allegedly orchestrated chaos in the location in midday on Tuesday.

Footages and video clips from the scene showed protesters barricading the highway into the city, with sporadic shootings, burning of cars and general unrest ongoing in the area.

#NoCongoNoPhone

Away from the #EndSARS protests, the above hashtag trended Tuesday as part of efforts to raise awareness about the modern day slavery and child labour ongoing in the Cobalt mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Congo, which happens to the world’s largest producer of Cobalt (essential for the manufacturing of phones and other devices), has benefitted far less as manufacturers than the buyers. The country still battles under-developement despite its rich mineral deposits.

Tweeps have siezed the opportunity to lament the state of the country and Africa as a whole.

https://twitter.com/_stephenAB/status/1318501879073091586?s=08

Garba, Jack

The name of Ex-Presidential candidate, Adamu Garba, and that of the founder and CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, hit Twitter’s trend table yet again on Tuesday.

Taking his brawl with Mr. Dorsey a step further, Garba in a statement to newsmen declared that he was filing a suit for $1 billion against Dorsey for “damages and actively sponsoring and supporting the #EndSARS movement by encouraging funding”.

He also took to his Twitter handle to display copies of the legal documents filed against Dorsey. But Twitter users have since questioned the rationale behind the move.

…By Okiemute Abraham

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