Nollywood actress Tonto Dikeh has been linked to a paid campaign for the release of alleged money launder Alex Saab.
Mr Saab is a Colombian businessman who worked with the Venezuelan government and is fighting an extradition order to the United States.
He was arrested In Cape Verde while traveling from Venezuela to Iran in June 2020 when his plane stopped to refuel in the African Island nation.
He denies the allegations against him, and his lawyers say his detention violates international law because Venezuela named him a “special envoy,” which provided him diplomatic immunity, and because the Interpol red notice calling for his arrest was issued after he was detained in Cape Verde.
Since mid-January, #FreeAlexSaab has been a rallying cry among Nigerians on Twitter with reports claiming Tonto and some social media influencers were paid to sway public opinion and court proceedings in Nigeria and Cape Verde where Saab is currently under house arrest.
On March 23, the 35-year-old actress tweeted to her 1.5 million followers: “I want to give someone who urgently needs money N25,000. Pls tell me what you will like to buy if I gift this to you. Pls add #FreeAlexSaab to your replies and you may be my next winner.”
An hour later, she asked people to sign an online petition in support of Saab and offered to send money to followers if 100 people signed it.
The tweets were deleted soon after they were posted and Tonto’s account suspended on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 for violating Twitter rules.
When contacted, Tonto said that neither she nor her social media manager knew anything about the Saab tweets.
“I don’t know anything about this. Free Alex Saab? Who is that?” she told BuzzFeed, suggesting someone may have hacked her account.
The Saab affair is not the first time Tonto Dikeh has been called out for making phony statements on social media.
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) on February 27 issued an official statement to deny her claim that the agency appointed her its peace ambassador.
On April 8, director of the United Nations Information Centre in Nigeria, Ronald Kayanja, disowned a United Nations noble international ambassador honour she claimed to have received from one United Nations Rescue Services.
Mr Kayanja told the BBC that many organisations use the UN name without authorization and that he will discuss the matter with the Nigerian authorities.
