There are academic explanations as to why this may be: for instance, scholars Alex Bruns and Jean Burgess refer to the use of hashtags in formation of ad-hoc publics on Twitter. Hence, I describe the “Nigerian Twittersphere” as a fluid community of users who assemble around Twitter hashtags to freely and uniquely express their opinions in ways that are nationalistic, political and combative. This concept, broadly known in Nigerian discourses as The Nigerian Twittersphere, has not been covered in academic literature. And there is a recognition of the influence that Twitter has had in Nigeria as “ there has been barely any social media platform contesting with Twitter in hosting Nigerian conversations - whether protests, rants or energising social movements”. At the base of this argument is the acknowledgement that Nigerians use Twitter in a particularly activist, aggressive and confrontational way. This phenomenon underlines the way in which Twitter is used differently by Nigerians in comparison to how they use other social media platforms. Some Twitter users went as far as releasing the phone numbers of public figures who opposed the #EndSARS movement, asking that they be bombarded with calls. The Twitter campaign urged people to unfollow President Muhammadu Buhari on Twitter, leading to him losing 100,000 followers. In similar fashion, Twitter users attacked singer Burna Boy for not taking part in the campaign online.
#Most trending news in nigeria movie#
Also, actress Toyin Abraham was condemned on Twitter for promoting her movie during the protests as users felt she was being “insensitive” and “inconsiderate”. In some instances, banks were berated on Twitter for not tweeting #EndSARS and for not supporting the campaign with funds, something start-ups were said to have done. In contrast, protesters called out established brands that were silent on the hashtag.On 9 October 2020, #EndSARS was the top trending hashtag in the world with over 2 million tweets, and it continuously trended in other countries including the United States and the United Kingdom. This strategy of amplification appears to have been successful. It seems the agenda was to “get the word out there”, for people to retweet widely, for celebrities and influencers to use the hashtag, and for news on the protests to be widely circulated. It was clear that users wanted coverage of the protests by international new outlets and they saw this as a success, celebrating every clip of international media reportage. Twitter users also sought to amplify conversations around the hashtags #EndSARS, #SARSMustEnd, #EndPoliceBrutality and #EndSARSNow.Indeed, without a platform like Twitter it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for protesters to spread across the country to co-ordinate themselves in highly organised and effective ways and to feed off one another’s energy.
#Most trending news in nigeria update#
During the protests, Twitter was used in at least three ways: to co-ordinate protests, to amplify the voice of the campaign globally, and to berate brands and public figures deemed to be opposed to the movement. The way in which #EndSARS was used provides insight into how Twitter serves as a co-ordinating platform for oppositional discourse and activist campaigns in Nigeria. The protests culminated in the Lekki shootings and Nigerian military officers have been accused of firing at unarmed protesters.
The protesters did not back down, however, as they were sceptical of the dissolution given that the SARS unit had been “banned” on four previous occasions. Before long, decentralised and youth-led protests against police brutality spread within and outside Nigeria.įacing the possibility of sustained national protests, the police chief, Mohammed Adamu, announced the dissolution of SARS on 11 October 2020. The most recent round of protests began on 3 October 2020 after a video was shared on Twitter purportedly showing SARS officials killing a man and fleeing with his vehicle in the Delta region, Southern Nigeria. The allegations led to the #EndSARS movement which began on Twitter in 2016 as a protest against police brutality. However, allegations of abuse ranging from extortion, kidnapping, rape and extra-judicial killings by SARS operatives have been documented. Unlike other police officers, SARS operatives were allowed to work in unconventional ways and to be tough in their fight against organised crime. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigerian Police Force was created in 1992 to combat violent crimes. Obia, a PhD researcher at Birmingham City University, looks at the role that Twitter has played in the protests, and the implications for social media regulation. In recent weeks Nigeria has been rocked by a wave of demonstrations as young people take to the streets to protest the activities of a police unit known as SARS.
0 kommentar(er)
