The Federal Government on Thursday said it did not ban Nigerians from using the popular social media platform, Twitter.
This was disclosed by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and the Federal Government in a counter-affidavit deposed in response to a motion filed by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong.
FirstNews had reported the Federal Government’s suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria, which was announced on June 4, 2021, two days after the social media platform deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This was followed by the blocking of access to the platform in Nigeria, a development that made Nigerians opt for Virtual Private Network in order to access social media.
But the AGF 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.
Worried by the situation, Effiong sued the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, Malami, and the Federal Government for suspending the social media platform.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/542/2021, Effiong is seeking nine reliefs, including an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further suspending, deactivating or banning the operation and accessibility of Twitter or any other social media service in Nigeria because the act was in violation of his rights.
He pleaded with the court to declare as illegal the threat of criminal prosecution by Malami and Lai Mohammed against Nigerians who ‘violate’ the suspension or ban of Twitter, despite the absence of any written law.
An affidavit deposed by Mr Ilop Lawrence on behalf of the Federal Government and the AGF, stated that the suspension of Twitter was not an abuse of human rights.
It read in part, “The applicant (Effiong) and the class he seeks to represent can still operate those Twitter accounts from anywhere in the world and even from Nigeria. Nigerians are still tweeting, even at this moment as the ban on Twitter is not aimed at intimidating Nigerians or an infringement on the rights of Nigerians to express their opinion.
“The respondents (Federal Government and AGF) have never stopped the applicant (Effiong) and the class of persons he seeks to represent from voicing their opinions to access government information and offer criticism where necessary.”