SocialMediaTrends: Ndume ‘the scapegoat’, #OyigboMassacre report, Ahmad’s FIFA ban & more

The social media space on Monday accommodated a range of topics, with issues on the country’s politics and governance making top trends.

The names of top government officials both in the local and international scenes were also noticed on Twitter trends table.

These are highlights of Monday’s conversations:

Oyigbo

A PremiumTimes investigative report detailing the carnage carried out on Oyigbo Community, Rivers State by Nigerian Army operatives, forced reactions from Twitter users.

According to the report, soldiers deployed from the Operation Delta Safe Camp, who were supposedly on a mission to fish out members of IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) on the orders of the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, ended up killing innocent residents due to indiscriminate shooting.

The soldiers were reportedly on the rampage under what seemed like a deliberate blackout in the community and a 24-hours curfew between the last week of October and November 3.

The carnage was said to have triggered a forced displacement as most residents fled their homes to nearby PortHarcourt town and neighbouring Abia and Imo States.

The report also linked the military action in the state to a planned ‘revenge mission’ by the army following the killing of seven of its men by suspected IPOB members who had razed a police station, carting away ammunitions.

The revelation has made most Twitter users refer to the Lekki toll gate shooting of unarmed protesters as ‘child’s play’ in terms of mortality rate and military operation.

Tweeps called out Governor Wike for repeatedly denying the incident and claiming that the military presence in the community was to restore calm and fish out IPOB faithfuls following the unrest caused by the October #EndSARS
protests.

Wike should be facing as much heat as Sanwo-olu right now, or even more for what the military did in Oyigbo.

Why is he so protected?

— Man of Letters. (@Letter_to_Jack) November 23, 2020

The army claimed it went to Oyigbo to arrest IPOB members who killed policemen and soldiers. But multiple sources, including relatives of victims told @PremiumTimesng that as soon as troops got to town they started shooting indiscriminately at everyone & everything in sight

— Nicholas Ibekwe (@nicholasibekwe) November 23, 2020

When those that ought to protect are destroying

https://t.co/JO4faJiOuR

— Nnamdi (@Nnamdi04164868) November 23, 2020

What happened in #Oyigbo was a crime against humanity & I'm not expecting the South West controlled media to amplify it like the child's play at Lekki Tollgate. But there was #OyigboMassacre. It was gory, gruesome, ghastly & grisly. It happened. A bride to be, 14yr old & scores

— Oziọmã. S. Kánụ (@88ideass) November 23, 2020

Read Also: SocialMediaTrends: Recession ‘season two’, corpses of #EndSARS protesters ‘on lockdown’ & more

Maina, Ndume, Abaribe

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday remanded Senator Ali Ndume over his failure to produce fleeing Abdulrasheed Maina, ex-chairman of the defunct Pension Reformed Task Team who he stood as a surety for in the ongoing N2bn money laundering trial in May 2020.

The Borno South Senator would be remanded in the Kuje correctional center until he either produces Maina in court or sells off the N500m worth of property located in Asokoro, Abuja, which was used as the guarantee for the bail bond Maina had boycotted.

Some Twitter users also compared the case to that of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu who had also jumped bail while facing a court trial for treason and terrorism in 2017, with Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe standing as a surety for him. Tweeps called for the same treatment to be meted at the Abia-South senator.

Senator Ali Ndume, has been sent to Kuje Prisons for being unable to produce the ExChairman of the Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, whom he stood surety for in court.

A sitting Senator sent to jail.
This is good. I hope his allowances are suspended too. Or no need?

— #OurFavOnlineDoc ?????? (@DrOlufunmilayo) November 23, 2020

Sen Ali Ndume got himself into trouble when he started saying that there are kleptocrats around @MBuhari, forgetting that the regime is a kleptocracy! Now they have him by the balls! Even @MalamiSan who made it a habit to do pickups from Maina in Dubai wasn't asked to explain pic.twitter.com/IcJJcSCQWe

— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) November 23, 2020

I thought about the case of Maina this morning and wondered what is going on. Can it be really said that our security guys don't know where Maina is hibernating? I don't want to believe no one knows where Maina is. Well let's watch as the drama unfolds.

— Mazi Emeka the Tax Lawyer (@DieuEmeka) November 23, 2020

If the court can order to remand Ndume for not producing Maina,what about Abaribe that has long lost Nnamdi Kanu???

— Morgan (@Morgstreme1) November 23, 2020

After that Ndume's judgment, Abaribe may be finding new things to attack Buhari with every week now so if it gets to his turn, it'll be witchhunt for speaking truth to power straight

— Souljah (@jeffphilips1) November 23, 2020

Abaribe had a legal standing that the Federal government sent troops to the house of Nnamdi Kanu thus the Federal government should produce him wherever he is. It's actually different from the arguments of Ali Ndume. Court deals with facts only not sentiments. By @auskenfine

— H2SO4 (@ActuallyChidi) November 23, 2020

FIFA, Ahmad Ahmad

World Football governing body, FIFA, has handed a five year ban to the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Ahmad Ahmad, who was found guilty of misappropriation of funds and abuse of office.

Mr Ahmad would pay a CHF 200,000 fine following the allegation and cease to be involved in football related activities both locally and internationally, the FIFA Chamber of the Independent Ethics Committee ruled.

Nigerians reacted thus:

Ahmad Ahmad's ban is not surprising

— kolly-b™senZation ? (@westsidesamson) November 23, 2020

Ahmad Ahmad shocked me. Man looked very competent and so composed for the job.

— T A N G (@tangdeboy) November 23, 2020

African football confederation president Ahmad Ahmad has been banned for five years by FIFA for financial misconduct. Disgracing the continent as usual ☹️

— Horlawaleh (@Murphyano20) November 23, 2020

…By Okiemute Abraham

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