By Abdulrasaq Yusuff
“Kanu is widely known to be a peddler of fake news, owing to the fact that most of his information on the Federal Government and other issues are confirmed as untrue. And if he is alleged of his Hatred to the Sovereignty, Nigeria, not one soul in the universe would have filed a complaint. Also is Dr. Kemi Olunloyo, the online blogger who has reported the death of Kanu.”
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), must be having sleepless nights these days. Why? A mere lady is giving him a dose of his own medicine.
Kanu is widely known to be a peddler of fake news, owing to the fact that most of his information on the Federal Government and other issues are confirmed as untrue. And if he is alleged of his Hatred to the Sovereignty, Nigeria, not one soul in the universe would have filed a complaint. Also is Dr. Kemi Olunloyo, the online blogger who has reported the death of Kanu.
Kemi Olunloyo seems to have enjoyed the attention of IPOB based on the news she has disseminated via her social media account. If one were to follow Kemi’s line of information, the person who spoke on the Facebook page, Radio Biafra, last night is a double! A clone!!
Wow, Kanu’s double emerged online. Brought in from where? I guess from Madagascar! Some online commentators have even mentioned the real name of the double. Or at least made such claims.
Kemi has her own imperfections. I could remember her ordeal in the hands of the Port-Harcourt based Pastor, David Ibeoyomie. Olunloyo spent several months in jail after claiming that the respected man of God was engaging in adultery until her sympathizers begged her way out of the prison.
Just like Olunloyo, IPOB is another controversial figure whose joy is in seeing others who are tough be cast as an enemy. They know no limits in their propaganda.
Then came the clash of the two controversial personalities Olunloyo and IPOB clashed, it was a saga and gimmick on the path of both of them, who enjoy cheap popularity mainly from peddling fake news, and misleading the people in the wrong direction. And it’s not a few people who fall prey of this media cajole.
A day after tweeting that Kanu is dead, Olunloyo took to Twitter to retract her claims, saying she confirmed from Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Nigerian Minister who is Nnamdi Kanu’s ally, that the IPOB leader is hale and hearty and not dead. But who is to say that the question cannot be raised whether the new Kanu is not indeed a clone or a double?
IPOB and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu are similar in shape and size. IPOB through its leader, Kanu, claimed that Buhari and Osinbajo were sick from coronavirus, even after the media reported that the duo were healthy, their claims turned out to be malicious intent. The acclaimed ignored igbo leader who calls himself an Ibo leader said there is a Jubril in Aso Rock, now Kemi has put him on the spot that he is dead! Let him proof otherwise. IPOB quickly organized a Facebook address yesterday but people are saying it’s fake Kanu on it!!
On Sunday, Kanu delivered a live broadcast on Radio Biafra. Reacting to the live broadcast, Olunloyo insisted that Nnamdi Kanu is dead and that person that spoke as the IPOB leader during the live broadcast on Radio Biafra on Sunday, was “physically in Nigeria doing his voice over.”
The controversial journalist tweeted: “Nnamdi Kanu has died and gone. The person on a radio/video show yesterday didn’t have to hide their face. That person was physically in Nigeria doing his voice over. As a broadcaster, I can do voices of many public figures.”
After #RIPNnamdiKanu trended, this cemented Kanu’s death story. She challenged Kanu and his supporters to show proof of life. This did not go down well with IPOB supporters who have often praised Olunloyo in the past.
They decided to retaliate and they tried #RIPKemiOlunloyo but for some reasons, it did not fly. Then they tried their hands on #PrayForKemiOlunloyo. This hashtag trended using various malicious information as the peddlers clashed when the centre could no longer hold.
Like two hens battling over a female counterpart, IPOB and Olunloyo are locking horns to decide who wins to claim the master of fake news. Both of them derive joy in spreading fake news which is bad for the society but one is worse.
The damage fake news causes everyday in Nigeria is unknown to the followers of these two reckless windbags
Why it is critical to categorise these two as charlantas, Kemi must be credited for serving Kanu, a dose of his own medication against Nigerians
*Yusuff, a political analyst, writes from Abuja. First published in Nation May 1, 2020.
