By Tosin Adeoti
Recently, a narrative spread rapidly across Nigerian media and social platforms. It claimed that the reason President Trump and his advisers authorised airstrikes in Nigeria was information supplied by a “screwdriver salesman” in Onitsha.
The
story originated with a New York Times report and was
excitedly amplified locally by outlets such as The Cable and The
Nation. The framing was deliberate and dismissive. Emeka Umeagbalasi
was portrayed primarily as a man who owns a small shop selling screwdrivers and
wrenches in a market in the commercial hub of southeast Nigeria. The
implication was clear. How could someone like this possibly influence U.S.
foreign policy?
