A tweet by Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, stirred online reactions on Tuesday after a name listed among arrested individuals matched that of renowned chess master and humanitarian, Tunde Onakoya.
Wahab had announced that operatives of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) enforcement team apprehended nine individuals under the Ozumba Mbadiwe bridge in the early hours of the day. He posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“LAWMA enforcement team in the early hours of today arrested 9 miscreants under Ozumba Mbadiwe bridge. They are: Tunde Onakoya – 36yrs, Collins Ararume – 36yrs, Musiliu Fatokun – 27yrs, Usman Umar – 22yrs, Michael Oladotun – 18yrs, Michael Oluwakayode – 22yrs, Yusuf Azika – 26yrs, Bankole Akinola – 19yrs, and Abdullahi Olatunji – 19yrs.”
The inclusion of “Tunde Onakoya” sparked instant reactions across social media platforms, with many Nigerians questioning whether the award-winning chess advocate and founder of Chess in Slums Africa had been mistakenly arrested during one of his outreach programs.
Speculation grew as several users tagged the chess master on X, seeking confirmation of his safety. One user, tweeting as #ToluwalaseR, asked Wahab directly, “Mr Toks, please which of the Tunde Onakoyas are you talking about? #Tunde_OD are you safe?”
In a lighthearted response, the real Tunde Onakoya tweeted:
“No way… Was he teaching chess when this happened? Am I tweeting from detention?”
Other users expressed disbelief and concern, with tweets like:
“Oga Toks, your people don go pack Chess master where e dey teach boys under the bridge how to play chess.” – @Dolipeepe
“Tunde Onakoya ke. This one can’t be our Tunde Onakoya.” – @Adeklinsmann2
The incident highlights the power of social media in quickly clarifying public misinformation and the deep connection Nigerians feel toward individuals making a positive impact in society.
As of now, it has been confirmed that the Tunde Onakoya listed in the arrest is not the celebrated chess champion, and he remains safe and active online.
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