We’ve not stopped Nigerians from using Twitter, FG tells court
The Federal Government has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that it has not stopped Nigerians from using Twitter, adding that many Nigerians are still using it everyday.
The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Federal Government said this in a counter-affidavit they deposed to in response to an originating motion filed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong.
The government had on June 4, 2021, suspected Twitter, barely two days after the social media platform deleted the tweet by the President, Muhammadu Buhari.
However, many Nigerians have bypassed the Twitter suspension by using Virtual Private Network (VPN).
Malami, in a statement threatened to prosecute Nigerians still using the platform while the National Broadcasting Commission ordered all radio and television stations to stop using Twitter or picking content from the platform.
The government told the court that Nigerians are still free to use other platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Tiktok and others.
The Federal Government also denied knowledge of Twitter deleting Buhari’s tweet on the Biafra civil which offended many Nigerians.
It said Twitter had made its platform accessible to elements like Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, and had supported the #EndSARS protests in October 2020 which was later hijacked by hoodlums.
The government further stated that Nigerians should direct their anger at Twitter and not the government because Twitter would not have been suspended if it complied with Nigeria’s laws.
It told the court that the Twitter suspension would be lifted once the platform registers with the NBC and the Corporate Affairs Commission.
