In November 2024, a sordid rumor ignited Tiktok before spreading to the entire media sphere: Aisha Suleiman , a 16-year-old teenager, would have mpoised her ex-friendly friend and four of her friends by preparing a deadly "pepper soup".
History, viral on social networks, said that the girl would have acted out of revenge after her separation from Emmanuel Elogie , 19 . The latter, according to the rumor, would have shared this meal with four friends, all deceased. The case quickly caused a wave of indignation online, amplifying calls for revenge.
A rumor that triggers a manhunt
Despite his attempts to defend herself, Aisha Suleiman was appointed guilty on a social networks. In a public statement, she said that Emmanuel Elogie had placed a bonus of 500,000 ₦ on her head , accusing her of having poisoned them before succumbing.
Very quickly, the rumor exceeded the digital framework. An angry crowd , galvanized by disinformation, mobilized to find it and inflict on her expeditious justice. Aware of the danger, Aisha tried to take refuge in the police station in order to file a complaint. But on the way, she crossed a raging crowd ready to lynch her . The police of the state of Edo intervened in time to save his life in extremis , placing her in detention for his safety.
An investigation that restores the truth
Aisha's father, a direct witness to the events, said he saw a furious crowd near the market square, carrying cans of petrol to burn his house and burn live in his daughter .
Faced with accusations, Aisha firmly denied having prepared the slightest meal. His alibi was corroborated by the father of one of the victims , who said that Isha had never visited the scene of the drama . In reality, at the time of the facts, she was in Iyakpi , while deaths occurred in Afashio , a different locality.
The autopsy ended up dismissing the hypothesis of poisoning . According to the forensic doctors, the five deaths are due to the inhalation of toxic fumes emanating from a defective generator . Following this revelation, all the charges were abandoned and Aisha was able to return to his home.
An emblematic case of the dangers of disinformation
The affair illustrates a recurring disinformation scheme , where unconceived rumors are gaining uncontrollable magnitude, stirring popular violence and putting lives in danger.
A certain Ezenna Japan , accused of having propagated the false accusations on social networks, will face legal proceedings . His role in the dissemination of these rumors could have Aisha's life
Despite the formalization of his innocence, Internet users remain convinced of his guilt. Some comments collected on Tiktok bear witness to this persistent distrust:
- Mavin🥶😈 : "Take the girl out first, I'm waiting for her! »»
- Expensive_monet : "No matter what they say, Aisha killed these boys!" »»
- Poseidonh4 : "It's not a lawyer work ... Lawyers distort everything! »»
Other Internet users, on the other hand, claim public apology for the girl:
- Yelnats🥰🥰🥰 : “Aisha deserves apologies from content creators. »»
- Gift Sweet 9Life : “Many people die because of fumes of defective generators , but social media has chosen to impose another version of the facts . »»
A tragedy among many others
The story of Aisha Suleiman is not an isolated case. Nigeria has a long history of collective lynchages triggered by disinformation . Among the previous dramatic, we count:
- The Aluu 4 case , where four students were lynched in 2012 after false flight accusations.
- David Imoh , killed in 2022 in Lagos by an angry crowd.
- Deborah Samuel , a lynched and burned student lively in May 2022 in Sokoto for an alleged blasphemy on Whatsapp.
A scourge that threatens justice and human rights
The uncontrolled propagation of false information is a major challenge for modern companies. In Nigeria, as elsewhere, these rumors compromise the fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence , particularly in a country where the ineffectiveness of the police feeds popular justice.
If citizens have a duty to report crimes to the authorities, no one has the right to do justice by itself . According to the principles of law, any person is innocent until proven otherwise and must benefit from a fair trial .
According to a study by Amnesty International , entitled " Instantly Killed " , cases of collective violence have increased considerably in Nigeria over the past two decades . Between 2012 and 2023 , the organization identified 555 victims of lynching through 363 popular justice incidents .
A call for vigilance on social networks
The story of Aisha Suleiman illustrates an increasing danger: the ability of social networks to transform a rumor into a deadly threat . Today was Aisha. Tomorrow it could be anyone .
In the absence of a rapid police intervention, Aisha would have been killed for a crime she did not commit , only because a false information was relayed and amplified without the slightest verification .
This episode recalls an urgent necessity: social media users must be discerning and ensure the reliability of the information they share . In a world where a simple rumor can cost a life , vigilance is a collective duty.
Article written by Kosisochukwu Charity Ani
