…urge UN, AU to put pressure on Nigerian govt
No fewer than 70 Civil Society Organisations, on Sunday, called on the Federal Government to reverse the suspension of microblogging platform, Twitter, immediately.
FG recently suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria over alleged undue interference.
The government took the action, which has been described as retaliatory, after Twitter deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari on the Nigerian Civil War.
But the CSOs, in a joint statement on Sunday, said they were concerned about the “repression and escalating crackdown on human rights by the Nigerian government, particularly on the rights to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.”
They said the Twitter’s suspension was unlawful and chided the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation over its directive to broadcast stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts.
The CSOs’ statement read, “We strongly condemn the arbitrary and unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, by the authorities, and the resulting restrictions on the human rights of people, as well as the threat to prosecute anyone using Twitter in Nigeria.
“We also condemn the “directive” issued by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for all broadcast stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts.
“Social media platforms have helped Nigerians to receive information, impart same, hold useful conversations, and hold the Nigerian authorities to account. A clear example is how social media was used to drive police accountability in the #EndSARs protests last year.
“The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
The CSOs urged Federal Government to reverse its suspension of Twitter and withdraw the ‘threat’ to prosecute anyone using Twitter in the country.
They also called on the government to “Immediately withdraw the directive to broadcast stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts.
“End widespread impunity for human rights violations, in particular the rights to freedom of expression including online, access to information and media freedom.
“We also urge the international community, including the UN and the African Union to publicly condemn the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and to put pressure on the Nigerian authorities to reverse the decision.”