Enoh condemns cyber bullying of Alex Iwobi
Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has strongly condemned the cyber bullying of Super Eagles midfielder Alex Iwobi after the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.
Iwobi has been subjected to abuse on social media, with some fans blaming him for Nigeria’s 2-1 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire in Sunday’s AFCON finale. The Sports Minister described such acts as uncalled for and assured the player of the support of Nigerians.
Enoh, who accompanied the Super Eagles team back to Abuja from Abidjan in the early hours of Tuesday, met privately with Iwobi to encourage him.
“I condemn strongly the cyber bullying of Alex Iwobi or any other sports man or woman,” the sports Minister said. “They give a lot if not all of themselves when representing our Nation, the least we can do is rally support for them, be kind and gracious with words and actions towards them.”
“Dear Alex Iwobi be strong. You were part of a team that brought home a silver medal from AFCON 2023. The last time we won a silver was twenty three years ago at AFCON 2000.
Cyber bullies do not determine what the leadership of the country, the rest of Nigerians including myself, think of you. You did your best, gave over fourth days for the love of the nation. We applaud you. We are proud of you, keep soaring,” he added.
Iwobi deleted all pictures on his Instagram page and locked the comment section of the post, following online abuse after the AFCON finals.
Super Eagles Captain, Ahmed Musa also pleaded with fans to stop cyber attacks on Iwobi.
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“Dear fans, I want to please urge you to halt the cyber-bullying directed towards Alex Iwobi,” Musa said. “Cyber bullying is not just a violation of decency but also a serious crime. It’s hypocritical to claim that football unites us while engaging in such behaviour.”
“Losing a game is undoubtedly tough, but targeting a single player for the team’s shortcomings is unfair and unjust. We win as a team, and we lose as a team. Alex gave his all on the field, just like every member of our squad.”
“Instead of spreading negativity, let’s show genuine love and support to our players. They need our encouragement now more than ever. Let’s uplift each other and stand united, both in victory and defeat,” he added.