Following the deletion of a tweet on President Muhammadu Buhari Twitter handle on Tuesday, the federal government has accused the social media platform of double standards.
Buhari, in the post, warned those attacking police and destroying government properties they will be dealt with in the language they understand, reminding them of how the southeast triggered civil war between 1967 and 1970.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, Information Minister Lai Mohammed said Twitter ignored inciting tweets by the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and others.
The minister said the social media giant also displayed the same bias during the #ENDSARS protest during which government and private property were either looted or destroyed.
He said Twitter’s role is suspicious and Nigeria would not be fooled.
“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 organisation is proscribed, it is different from any other which is not proscribed.
“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.”