
X in Tanzania: Access to the social media site restricted after police account targeted by hackers
Access to the social media platform X has been restricted in Tanzania after some official accounts of government and private institutions were targeted by hackers.On Tuesday, the official police account was compromised, with sexually explicit material and false information that the president had died being posted. The police dissociated itself from the information and said an investigation was under way to identify those responsible.Hours later data from the internet monitoring organisation Netblocks showed that X was "unreachable on major internet providers" across the country .
Users in Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital, could still not access the site on Wednesday although some people in other regions indicated they were able to log on. Information Minister Jerry Silaa acknowledged the hacking and assured MPs in parliament that the affected government social media accounts had since been secured.Earlier, government spokesman Gerson Msigwa warned the people responsible that immediate action was being taken.The problems with accessing X come amid the continued uproar over the deportation of prominent Kenyans - a move that prevented them from attending the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu, who is accused of treason.On Monday, the president warned activists from its northern neighbour that she would not allow them to "meddle" in her country's affairs and cause "chaos".She spoke after Kenya's former Justice Minister Martha Karua along with some others, who had all travelled to attend Lissu's court case, were deported.Another Kenyan activist, Boniface Mwangi, and Ugandan Agather Atuhaire were arrested in Dar es Salaam by suspected military officers on Monday and their whereabouts remain unknown.
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"Di herders storm di area, dem first capture some of us [women] dem keep us for a separate place bifor dem attack and start to shoot and kill di men wey no dey lucky to survive." Na so one survivor from di community, Edikwu Ankpali for Apa local goment area of Benue state, wia suspected herdsmen attack, tell BBC Pidgin. as she tori wetin hapun and her experience. Suspected herdsmen bin attack di community between Sunday June 1st and Monday June 2nd. Dem kill pipo, and now, we dey hear tori from di women wey dem also rape. Ova ten women for dat community tori say dem rape dem, some of dem still dey hospital. Women narrate di emotional and sexual trauma wey dem face for di hands of di attackers. One of di victims tell BBC Pidgin say na eight times dem rape her in di space of seven hours. She say afta dem begin attack some of di men, dem begin gang rape women for di community. "Dem rape me rape eight times before day break, odas 10 times. Di herders reach like 50 in number." She tok. Di youth leader Odogbo Ngbede also tell BBC Pidgin say, "we no know wia our wives dey again", dis na as some of di women still dey miss. Anoda victim say she bin sit down wit her sick elderly father bifor dem come, "dem kill my papa, come carry me go one place to rape me", she tok wit sadness. Di women tell BBC Pidgin say dem dey in pain as dem no fit waka well for days now. Di victims of di rape dey between 35 and 60 years old. ' I lose more dan six of my family members' Madam Sarah (no be her real name) wey run comot from village go di local goment headquarters tell BBC Pidgin say, di suspected herdsmen don pursue her from village like odas too wey dey relocate. She narrate say dem kill her papa wey be elderly man and some of her cousins and until now, dem neva see dia deadibody. She add say like say dem dey alive, dem for don come out from wia dem run go hide for safety. "Dem kill almost all my family members, I no go go back unless goment do sometin to help us. If peace no comeback to my village, I no dey go back. Hunger dey kill us, we no fit go farm again, na outside I dey sleep all dis while, bifor i run comot from di village dem don kill 29 pipo. She say na by di grace of God she survive 'Dem bin tell us say di pipo dey come do peace tok-tok wit us' - Community leader Afta retirement as Deputy Comptroller of Immigration, Mr Eyigege Ikwutole say make im come rest for village. But as di current community leader, di peace wey im find come village don turn to serious attacks and sad stories. Im tok say im no fit imagine say pipo wey dem no get any problem wit go just come enta dia community just to attack, kill pipo and tiff dia tins. "Dem bin tell us say di pipo [suspected herdsmen] dey come do peace tok-tok wit us. So we like peace na why we accept dem, around 3:30 pm, dem enta our community we welcome dem, dem stay wit us and we dey share evritin wit dem, di tins wey we get for house we share wit dem too until around 4:00pm dat same day. Some pipo wey dey go toilet come see pipo wey wear all black clothes wey carry guns [AK 47 and AK 49] so dem run back to di village to alert evribody, but bifor pipo go even park dia tins to run comot, di herdsmen don already takeova dos places too." Di community leader say dem still dey retrieve deadi bodi. "Dem just dey kill pipo evriwia, up till now. we still dey find some pipo inside bush becos we neva see dem wit us since dat day. We assume say either dem kill dem or dem capture dem, carry dem go." Di retired immigration officer say dem no go fit secure dia sef sake of say law for Nigeria no dey allow individuals to carry or buy gun just like dat. Im add say na why dem dey beg goment to help dem becos dem no fit do dia farming again and dem dey helpless. "Anytin we plant dem go uproot am, even our well sef dem dey use force dey fetch di water. But our elders bin don warn us make we no react negatively and na wetin we dey do since." Im add say na only men wey fit fight dey for di village now, di women and children run go di local goment headquarters to take cover and im no know how di pipo for village dey take survive. As death toll bin dey increase, police bin deploy tactical teams to flash points as army chief bin also visit communities for di state. 'We dey under seige' - Govnor Alia Meanwhile, Benue State Governor Hycinth Alia tok for Channels TV interview say im no dey see di attacks as clash between farmers and herders, again. Im say specialised killers dey involved and terrorists wey dey engage like say na guerrilla war dem dey fight. "Di way dis attacks come and di intel we receive, na direct and calibrated plan and dem go execute am. Evriday, we dey receive dis intel dem. Of late, each of di intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent of am dey quite accurate. "And den wen you realise wetin dey go on, e dey beyond just conflict, e dey beyond just ethnic fight between herders and farmers for our state, e dey directed, e dey planned and den, dem go execute am, na terrorism." "For some reason, dem no dey eva catch any of dem. Dem dey come for middle of di night, hit and run and nobody dey see any trace. So, na terrorism wey dey eat us up," im tok. Suspected herdsmen attack both residents of Tse-Antswam for Naka town, wey be headquarters of Gwer West LGA and Edikwu Ankpali for Apa local goment area of Benue state between Sunday 1June and Monday 2nd June, 2025. Ova 50 pipo die for di attack and some pipo still dey miss.