As the expiration date for free Twitter verification lapsed, users have started mourning their blue badges of authorization and bragging rights.

One of them was the Nigerian police’s public relations officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin.

Recall that Twitter’s owner, Elon Musk, announced recently that the social media app would cease issuing free authentication and existing badge owners must pay or lose the rights.

The blue badge was a way of identifying accounts belonging to public organizations and high-profile users.

The public was earlier informed that it would wind down the system on April 1 but that was not to be.

Then last week, Musk announced a final date of April 20.

“Legacy verification gone 🙄

“I no dey pay shishi 😜,” Hundeyin teased.

Other notable Nigerians affected include politicians, journalists and entertainers such as Wizkid, Davido.

The blue badge, which were free, are now available through Twitter Blue — a subscription service the company launched last year.

The 5,000 Naira monthly service is the latest step by Musk to monetize Twitter since buying the platform in October for $44 billion.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.