Aisha Yesufu back on Twitter — after temporary suspension

August 29, 2019 12:41 pm

Twitter, microblogging platform, temporarily suspended the account of Aisha Yesufu, leader of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, on Thursday.

Twitter said the account was suspended over “unusual activity.”

“Caution: this account is temporarily restricted. You are seeing this warning because there has been some unusual activity from this account,” a statement from Twitter read.

Nigerians on Twitter, including Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of education and also BBOG co-convener, reacted to the development and called on the social media giant to restore the account.

Here @Twitter is a tribute to @AishaYesufu from her fellow citizen who represents the Voice of many. Ignore the intolerant FG @NigeriaGov and it’s internet trolls that despise and attack Aisha here on Twitter daily. Release her account NOW. She does not deserve to be shut down. https://t.co/c4oWwADI3F

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) August 29, 2019

Dear @Twitter , I don’t know why you placed a restriction on @AishaYesufu ‘s account but if Twitter represents what I think it does, people like Aisha must not have their voices restricted by systems we have come to trust to help democratise power and activism. Lift the gate!

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) August 29, 2019

The account which was frozen was restored on Thursday.

In a mail sent to Yesufu, Twitter explained that the restriction was placed after its automated systems flagged a series of tweets from the account as spam.

“We apologise for the mix-up, and hope to see back on Twitter,” it wrote.

Yesufu thanked Twitter users who lent voices to the restriction, adding that she would continue to be a voice for Nigerians.

“Thank you everyone for your voices. I have gotten a mail from @Twitter and I am back. I will continue to be a voice. My voice is not for myself alone but for so many others who unfortunately did not get that education that so many of us take for granted to have a voice. THANK YOU,” the tweet read.

Apology accepted @Twitter kindly restore back my following. Thank you pic.twitter.com/AH8yl73qVN

— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) August 29, 2019
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Thank you everyone for your voices. I have gotten a mail from @Twitter and I am back. I will continue to be a voice. My voice is not for myself alone but for so many others who unfortunately did not get that education that so many of us take for granted to have a voice.
THANK YOU pic.twitter.com/uZ4g8TXZul
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— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) August 29, 2019