TheCable

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

Yesufu is  known to be a critic of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a video that trended in 2017, she called for the resignation of Buhari due to health challenge.