DJ Cuppy proudly tweeted: “Unapologetically Nigerian.”
Why should anyone be offended by this innocuous tweet? But a troll chose to insult her. He wrote: “Old woman, go and marry.”
So, celebrities don’t have the right to say they love their own country? Does free speech mean only the opinions you like?
Why should you insult people without offence? Why should you feel offended because a woman said she loves her country?
The other day, Hausa actress Hadiza Gabon posted her photos on Instagram. A trolled jumped out of nowhere to insult her. He told her to go and get married. She hit him back with a devastating reply. She asked him to tell his father to divorce his mother and marry her. She shut him up. He retreated to his hole like a timid rat.
Why should anybody feel they are entitled to insult others? Trolls are fond of looking for trouble, but they are incapable of handling insults themselves. When they come under volleys of insults, they start accusing their victims of arrogance and intolerance.
You have to address bullies in their own language lest they think they have a monopoly of incivility. Passivity feeds aggression. Once you are meek, you become a target for trolls. Don’t be too gentle with trolls; tear their hearts with invectives and they will leave you alone because they know you are capable of tackling them in their own language.
Na-Allah Mohammed Zagga
