Buhari’s ‘language they understand’ comment meant to warn IPOB that their force would be met with force, says Presidency

The Presidency on Saturday offered an explanation of the remark made by President Muhammadu Buhari deleted by Twitter leading to the suspension of the microblogging site’s operations in Nigeria, saying that he only meant to warn the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) that their force would be met with force.

A statement on the suspension of the social media giant’s operation issued by Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media and Publicity), said the remark that “they will be treated in a language they understand,” which evoked the memories of the civil war, was a basic service response throughout the world.

The statement explained that it was not meant to promote hate but to uphold the rights of citizens to protection.

The Presidency pointed out that Twitter does not seem to appreciate the enormity of the challenges facing Nigeria.

It said: “The tweet was not a threat, but a statement of fact. A terrorist organisation (IPOB) poses a significant threat to the safety and security of Nigerian citizens.

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“When the president said that they will be treated ‘in a language they understand,’ he merely reiterated that their force shall be met with force. It is a basic principle of security services response world over.

“This is not promotion of hate, but a pledge to uphold citizens’ right to freedom from harm. The government cannot be expected to capitulate to terrorists.

“IPOB is proscribed under Nigerian law. Its members murder innocent Nigerians. They kill policemen and set government properties on fire. Now, they have amassed a substantial stockpile of weapons and bombs across the country.

“Twitter does not seem to appreciate the national trauma of our country’s civil war. This government shall not allow a recurrence of that tragedy.”

The statement noted that the suspension of Twitter was not just a response to the removal of the president’s tweet but the platform had become an instrument of misinformation and fake news in the country.

The statement added: “The temporary suspension of Twitter is not just a response to the removal of the president’s post.

“There has been a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences. All the while, the company has escaped accountability.

“Nevertheless, the removal of President Buhari’s tweet was disappointing. The censoring seemed based on a misunderstanding of the challenges Nigeria faces today.

“The President in his address at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 said ‘the world was shocked and startled by the massacre in New Zealand by a lone gunman taking the lives of 50 worshippers.’

“This and similar crimes which have been fueled by social media networks risk seeping into the fabric of an emerging digital culture.

“Major tech companies must be alive to their responsibilities. They cannot be allowed to continue to facilitate the spread of religious, racist, xenophobic and false messages capable of inciting whole communities against each other, leading to loss of many lives. This could tear some countries apart.

“President Buhari has therefore been warning against social media’s disruptive and divisive influences and the government’s action is not a knee-jerk reaction to Twitter’s preposterous deletion of his tweet which should have been read in full.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE