By DEJI ELUMOYE

The federal government has accused the social media giant, Twitter, of taking sides in the agitation of the proscribed Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South-east geo-political zone.

The Information and Culture Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while reacting to Twitter deleting President Muhammadu Buhari’s Tuesday’s tweet referencing the civil war and threatening South-east trouble makers, accused Twitter of double standard.

He told reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja Wednesday that while Twitter had in the past ignored inciting tweets by the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, and his cohorts, displaying the same biases it did during the ENDSARS protest where government and private properties were being looted and set on fire, it finds Buhari’s tweet offensive.

According to him, Twitter’s role is suspect and Nigeria will not be fooled.

He said: “Twitter may have its own rules, it’s not the universal rule. If Mr. President, anywhere in the world feels very bad and concerned 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.”

President Buhari had in series of tweet on Tuesday via his verified Twitter handle @mbuhari said: “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War.

Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.” (Text, excluding headline, courtesy THISDAY)

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