Outrage over Suspension of Twitter Operations in Nigeria, Firm Reacts

Some Nigerians have taken to Twitter to condemn the federal government following the suspension of the microblogging and social networking service operations in the country.

Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, had Friday announced that the federal government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of Twitter in Nigeria.

Twitter has also expressed “deep concern” over the decision to suspend its operations in Nigeria.

Sarah Hart, Twitter’s Senior Policy Communications Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa, who made this known in a statement, said the company is investigating the development.

“The announcement made by the Nigerian Government that they have suspended Twitter’s operations in Nigeria is deeply concerning.

Twitter had come into the crosshairs of the Buhari government after its police deleted two tweets and a video, in which President Buhari threatened to invoke civil war treatment to arsonists, separatists and insurrectionists destroying public assets.

Reacting, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate, said he just heard the news of Buhari’s ban on Twitter an hour or so after sending off TO SHOCK AND AWE to the print media.

He said he lacked surprise at this petulant gesture, unbecoming of a democratically elected president.

According to Soyinka, “if Buhari has a problem with Twitter, he is advised to sort it out between them personally, the way Donald Trump did, not rope in the right to free expression of the Nigerian citizen as collateral damage.

“In any case, this is a technical problem Nigerians should be able to work their way around. The field of free expression remains wide open, free of any dictatorial spasms!”

Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) also said that the directive to the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to begin the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria, “is another disguised attempt to regulate social media, restrict freedom of speech and shrink civic space.”

The legal body also threatened to challenge the decision in court.

In a series of tweet on Friday, Olumide Akpata, President of NBA, noted that Nigeria is operating a democracy, which stipulates that every action of the government must be backed by the law

Also, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has condemned the illegal and unconstitutional suspension of Twitter’s Operations in Nigeria.

It called on the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately rescind the suspension within 48 hours or face legal action.

But SERAP in a statement by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, said: “The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is a blatant violation of Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

“The suspension has the character of collective punishment and is contrary to Nigeria’s international obligations. President Buhari must immediately rescind this unconstitutional suspension. We will see in court if the suspension is not rescinded within 48 hours.”

The statement, read in part: “Suspending Twitter in Nigeria would deny Nigerians’ access to information, and disrupt the free exchange of ideas and the ability of individuals to connect with one another and associate peacefully on matters of shared concern. It would also seriously undermine the ability of Nigerians to promote transparency and accountability in the country, and to participate in their own government.”

“We call on the Nigerian authorities to guarantee the constitutionally and internationally recognized human rights of Nigerians including online. Deletion of President Buhari’s tweets should never be used as a pretext to suppress the civic space and undermine Nigerians’ fundamental human rights.”

Elsewhere, some Nigerians described the move as madness and obnoxious.

According to Adetutu Balogun, “FG announces suspension of Twitter in Nigeria via Twitter… awon werey.”

Danny Walter said “The problem with this News of Federal Government banning Twitter in Nigeria is that they’ve given these Police Men another Avenue for extortion. “Park” “Open your Phone” “Oh you dey use Twitter, enter Van criminal.”

According to JP, “Guess which app Federal Government uses to announce the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.”

Nappy Blaze said “They sent the military to protesters and we trended #EndSARS. The President made a genocide tweet and twitter deleted it. The Government got angry and went to suspend Twitter in Nigeria and we are already downloading VPNs. Una too stubborn ffs.”

According to Kabiyesi, The King, “Crashing economy, Kidnappings, Banditry and killings everywhere but your priority is to ban Twitter in Nigeria ?? We’re ruled by absolutely terrible people.”

Somto Onuchukwu added: “The coward Gen. Buhari has gone from turning off his comment section to banning twitter in Nigeria. This is not time for bants, we should occupy Nigeria on #June12Protest #OccupyNigeria2 #BuhariMustGo.”

Nielda said “The federal government intention to suspend Twitter in Nigeria is a clear view of how cranky they think. If they take such action in fighting insecurity in the country, Nigeria will be a better place.”