At what looked and sounded like a political rally in January this year, governor of Rivers state in South-southern Nigeria, Nyesom Wike was captured on video addressing the public and making direct statements at the opposition party in his state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) which some Twitter users have found inciting.
In the video, the Governor Wike said, “… If they don’t steer clear from Rivers state, since you have given me this machette, I will not look back. I will just use it and cut all of them. Is there any APC again here? Is there any APC in this state again? It’s as if they don’t want to hear, let me hear now. Because, before our people didn’t give us anything, now they have given us the go ahead. I didn’t come with this machette. As I came here, they gave it to me, okwaya? So, you know the implication of giving me machete, is it not? I should use it and clear all the unwanted. Is it not true? So, all those that know, don’t come closer to me because my people have given me the instrument to go to war and you know what it means if I catch you…”
While the earliest publication of the video was January 10 2017, the video, though old could serve as reference material should any legal action be considered.
PHOTO: Machete-wielding Governor Nyesom Wike reportedly encouraging supporters to kill pic.twitter.com/EN5jKyiaQj
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) January 10, 2017
Recently, a number of Nigerians have taken to Twitter and other social media to spread many different ideologies/messages and while some concerned citizens on social media have called on the security service of countries where the messages are broadcast from to caution the bearers, no known arrests have been made.