Russian election meddling is back -- via Ghana and Nigeria -- and in your feeds

Some agents linked to Russia who are interfering in the upcoming United States elections are reportedly operating from Nigeria.

According to CNN, the trolls traced to Nigeria as well as Ghana were outsourced from Russia, using online campaigns to “poison the political atmosphere” ahead of the next round of elections in America.

The broadcaster said its months-long investigation revealed the agents involved are mainly focusing on racial issues in the US, disguising as promoting black empowerment in the country.

It said unlike in 2016 when the meddling was coordinated from Russia, much of the interference this time are done through groups with strong social media presence disguised as campaigners and activists.

“The goal, according to experts who follow Russian disinformation campaigns, is to inflame divisions among Americans and provoke social unrest,” CNN reported.

The report said some of the operations are carried out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and coordinated by a group known as Eliminating Barriers to the Liberation of Africa (EBLA) through its Ghana and Nigeria offices.

It said while the running EBLA calls himself Amara and claims to be South African, “in reality, he is a Ghanaian who lives in Russia and his name is Seth Wiredu”.

“Late last year, Wiredu extended EBLA’s activities to Nigeria, filling at least eight positions, including a project manager to help with “social media management”,” the report read.

CNN said it uncovered the postings for two of the jobs, and “a source in Nigeria confirmed that the employees shared office space in Lagos”.

”The Nigerian accounts posted predominantly on US issues too,” it further said, quoted Darren Linvill, a Clemson University professor, as saying the campaign was “straight out of the Russian playbook, trying to mask its efforts among groups in the US”.

“They were very closely engaged in the Black Lives Matter community,” Linvill reportedly said.

“They talked almost exclusively about what was happening on the streets of the United States and not on the streets of Africa.”

CNN said Facebook and Twitter were already investigating some of the troll accounts when it notified the two companies of its investigation.

Facebook said in a statement it removed 49 accounts, 69 pages and 85 Instagram accounts for engaging in foreign interference— which is coordinated inauthentic behaviour on behalf of a foreign actor.

“This network was in the early stages of building an audience and was operated by local nationals — some wittingly and some unwittingly — in Ghana and Nigeria on behalf of individuals in Russia,” the organisation said.

”The people behind this network engaged in a number of deceptive tactics, including the use of fake accounts — some of which had already been disabled by our automated systems — to manage Pages posing as non-government organizations or personal blogs, and post in Groups.”

In a separate statement, Twitter said it has removed 71 accounts that had 68,000 followers, and were “operating out of Ghana and Nigeria and which we can reliably associate with Russia”.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/03/12/world/russia-ghana-troll-farms-2020-ward/index.html

Nigeria on the beat

Abeg abeg abeg abeg...

Remove Nigeria from your mouth and stop calling our name.

Limit your madness to yourselves. We are still trying to battle Bubu and his killer siblings.

[s]

FrLukas:
Abeg abeg abeg abeg...

Remove Nigeria from your mouth and stop calling our name.

Limit your madness to yourselves. We are still trying to battle Bubu and his killer siblings.

[/s]

Doing exactly what they learn from Americans so no need to complain.

Are you tired of ur AdSense not earning enough, or unable to reach $100 let me help you achieve that with genuine traffic

One way or the other the world will destroy itself. It has done that so many times through wars, disease from biological weapon etc.

The people I pity are those who does not have life in them. I mean life in Jesus Christ.

Its called gigs on gig site and if US foolishly fall for trump again through Putins funded troll then Putin got them by the puxxy again



.

These people are extremely sick. It's time the likes of superpowers like Russia, China, UK and every nation that has the capacity to start working for who they feel will work in their interests. US has been doing this to several nations around the globe for many years either by force or by fire. It's time for them to feel how others feel when they manipulate their leadership choice.

CNN? nah!

never listen to news on CNN

Jehovah, Allah, Zeus, Amadioha, Sango PUNISH all of una for CNN!

Better excuse Nigeria from your Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Animals!

-Lord

There's no vacancy for Demoncrats in the white house please.

fergie001:
Russian election meddling is back -- via Ghana and Nigeria -- and in your feeds

Some agents linked to Russia who are interfering in the upcoming United States elections are reportedly operating from Nigeria.

According to CNN, the trolls traced to Nigeria as well as Ghana were outsourced from Russia, using online campaigns to “poison the political atmosphere” ahead of the next round of elections in America.

The broadcaster said its months-long investigation revealed the agents involved are mainly focusing on racial issues in the US, disguising as promoting black empowerment in the country.

It said unlike in 2016 when the meddling was coordinated from Russia, much of the interference this time are done through groups with strong social media presence disguised as campaigners and activists.

“The goal, according to experts who follow Russian disinformation campaigns, is to inflame divisions among Americans and provoke social unrest,” CNN reported.

The report said some of the operations are carried out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and coordinated by a group known as Eliminating Barriers to the Liberation of Africa (EBLA) through its Ghana and Nigeria offices.

It said while the running EBLA calls himself Amara and claims to be South African, “in reality, he is a Ghanaian who lives in Russia and his name is Seth Wiredu”.

“Late last year, Wiredu extended EBLA’s activities to Nigeria, filling at least eight positions, including a project manager to help with “social media management”,” the report read.

CNN said it uncovered the postings for two of the jobs, and “a source in Nigeria confirmed that the employees shared office space in Lagos”.

”The Nigerian accounts posted predominantly on US issues too,” it further said, quoted Darren Linvill, a Clemson University professor, as saying the campaign was “straight out of the Russian playbook, trying to mask its efforts among groups in the US”.

“They were very closely engaged in the Black Lives Matter community,” Linvill reportedly said.

“They talked almost exclusively about what was happening on the streets of the United States and not on the streets of Africa.”

CNN said Facebook and Twitter were already investigating some of the troll accounts when it notified the two companies of its investigation.

Facebook said in a statement it removed 49 accounts, 69 pages and 85 Instagram accounts for engaging in foreign interference— which is coordinated inauthentic behaviour on behalf of a foreign actor.

“This network was in the early stages of building an audience and was operated by local nationals — some wittingly and some unwittingly — in Ghana and Nigeria on behalf of individuals in Russia,” the organisation said.

”The people behind this network engaged in a number of deceptive tactics, including the use of fake accounts — some of which had already been disabled by our automated systems — to manage Pages posing as non-government organizations or personal blogs, and post in Groups.”

In a separate statement, Twitter said it has removed 71 accounts that had 68,000 followers, and were “operating out of Ghana and Nigeria and which we can reliably associate with Russia”.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/03/12/world/russia-ghana-troll-farms-2020-ward/index.html

Story

Trump 2020

Ok..see finish don enter Nigeria matter internationally

This will definitely increase the hatred the world has for Nigerians

Okoroawusa:

You might be the troll...una plenty for Nairaland sharing fake news n opinions every hour on the front page

voltron14:
Some of the people CNN are referring to have infiltrated Nairaland.

u knw dos dose poisonous pigs 4 real

GamalNasser:

I am among those they are calling Russian bots because we support Donald Trump on Twitter full time

c dem 4 here

GamalNasser:
Useless democrats have reported me taya on Twitter that I am a Russian bots but IAM not !!! I

wall gecko sef dey feel like alligator. democrats 4 America dey report u wey dey hustle gala 4 upper iweka wetin we no go read for dis forum sef.

GamalNasser:

I am a solid Trump supporter of you don't know , I am very popular in GOP groups

abeg, go continue ur gala hustling, wetin ur support do 4 trump? no backyard Visa 4 u. trump wey no know whether u even dey exist, yeye , him wan use NL as referral 4 embassy, double yeye

I hope this doesn't add more time to the current ban.
Which kain wahala be this one now.

IGBO PEOPLE HAVE DESTROYED THE NAME OF NIGERIA OVERSEAS. NOW RUSSIA IS DOING THE SAME.

Give a dog a bad name then hang it!

Ok

Na how this matter take concern Nigeria?!

CNN have gone mad at this point.
They are indeed Mad Internationally with their Fake News.

It’s now normal for citizens of other African countries to hide behind Nigerian names to commit crime,especially Ghanian, these people do it alot.

Mshad662:
IGBO PEOPLE HAVE DESTROYED THE NAME OF NIGERIA OVERSEAS. NOW RUSSIA IS DOING THE SAME.

Read and stop disgracing your family.

In Donald Trump's voice: Fake News

Wenti concern Russia and United States for Nigeria matter.

I hope dem no go impose zombie for us as president