Twittering the Boko Haram Uprising in Nigeria: Investigating Pragmatic Acts in the Social Media
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Indiana University Press
Abstract
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This paper investigates pragmatic acts in the discourse of
tweeters and online feedback comments on the activities
of Boko Haram, a terrorist group in Nigeria. The tweets and
comments illustrate acts used to express revolutionary feelings
and reflect what people say and imply in times of crisis.
Tweets about Boko Haram are speech and pragmatic acts that
denounce the Nigerian government, reject Western education,
and call for support. Tweets and reactions from non-Muslims
and nonradical Muslims condemn terrorism and denounce
the terrorist group. While some tweets simply offer suggestions
on how to curtail the Boko Haram insurgency, others
seek the breakup of Nigeria, granting political and religious
independence to the north and the southeast of the country.
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PE English