He has never left Nigeria, yet he speaks glowingly of Ibrahim Traore, the military leader of Burkina Faso.
His admiration is shaped by a steady stream of viral videos, memes and social media posts -- many misleading or outright false -- portraying Traore as a fearless reformer who defied Western powers and reclaimed his country's dignity.
He has the support of fellow ex-French colonies Mali and Niger, which have turned their backs on Paris in favour of closer ties with Moscow.
While critics of Traore have blamed his government for clamping down on freedom of expression, others on social media are casting him in a positive light.
Like Sanni, her assessment underscores the growing influence of a coordinated propaganda campaign sweeping across west Africa -- one that frames Traore as a messianic figure.
“It normalises military intervention as a viable political solution and opens the door to foreign ideological interference.”
Traore's rising appeal in Nigeria comes at a time of the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu embarked on tough economic reforms.
“Traore fits the role perfectly -- young, defiant, and open to Russian cooperation, especially through Wagner-linked security outfits now rebranded as the Africa Corps,“ said Ikemesit Effiong, partner at Lagos-based consultancy firm SBM Intelligence.
Recent posts on Facebook purportedly show a massive low-cost high-rise residential block constructed under Traore's leadership.
Across Francophone Africa, similar narratives are gaining traction. In Ivory Coast, a video of Traore at the inauguration of a cement plant in Burkina Faso spread alongside false claims he had announced a drop in cement prices.
Analysts told AFP there are signs of organised, large-scale campaigns using false information to boost the profiles of Sahelian military leaders.
According to Effiong, this reflects a wider “Russian strategy” in Africa of leveraging social media to influence public opinion, bolster the image of military regimes, and portray Moscow as a more respectful alternative to Western powers.
Since the last coup in the region in July 2023 in Niger, Russian flags have become fixtures at pro-junta rallies in the region. At least 90 people flying the same flag were arrested in northern Nigeria during a protest against economic hardship in August 2024 .
Since 2015, regular attacks by armed jihadist groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Burkina Faso.
Dissenting voices like journalists have been regularly silenced, detained, or kidnapped in the name of the war against jihadists.
Maixent Some, an exiled Burkinabe financial analyst who tracks Africa-linked disinformation on social media, has accused Traore of failing his country and was declared wanted by the junta in April.
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