The Nigerian Federal Government on Friday banned the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, from operating in the country.
Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said in a statement in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, that the platform has been used for long in activities capable of undermining the nation’s corporate existence.
But Nigerians have risen in unison to condemn and make fun of the ban, saying it is s resurgence of dictatorship.
But Mohammed said it has directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.
Saying that the sanction against the microblogging and social networking service is indefinite, Nigeria’s reaction followed the deletion of President’s threatening tweet against secessionist South-East citizens.
Twitter had on Wednesday taken down President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet on dealing with those fomenting trouble in some parts of the country.
Sharing his civil war experience when he hosted Prof Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Buhari had said those misbehaving would be treated in the language they understand.
The president said those plotting the downfall of his administration will soon get the shock of their lives.
Yakubu led a delegation to Buhari over the attacks on INEC offices in the South-East.
After the meeting, @MBuhari, the president’s handle, tweeted about the discussion the president had with the INEC delegation.
“I received a briefing today from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on the series of attacks on their facilities nationwide. These attacks are totally unacceptable, and we will not allow those behind them to achieve their evil objectives.
“I have assured INEC that we will make available to them everything they need to operate efficiently, so that no one will say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. We will meet all of INEC’s demands.
“In the area of security, we have changed the Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General, and we are demanding that they rise fully to the challenges confronting us. There must be zero tolerance for all those bent on destroying our country by promoting crime and insurrection!
“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
But there was a massive outrage on Twitter as many users accused the president of threatening a section of the country.
They also asked Twitter to sanction the president, whom they accused of bias.
On Wednesday, Twitter flagged one of the tweets, saying it violates its rules.
The federal government immediately reacted, expressing its suspicion of the activities of the social media giant, Twitter, following its decision to delete President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet referencing the civil war. Reacting to the development on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and Culture accused Twitter of a double standard.
Mohammed said the social media giant had conveniently ignored inciting tweets by Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and his cohorts.
He said Twitter ignored Kalu’s remarks that encouraged the killing of Police personnel and the show of similar biases during the ENDSARS protest where government and private properties were looted and set on fire, considering it human rights.
Mohammed, who wondered why the organisation now found President Buhari’s tweet offensive, said Twitter’s role is suspicious and Nigeria will not be fooled.
But Nigerians have reacted to the Twitter suspension by the federal government.
Reno Omokri @renoomokri “The suspension of the activities of @Twitter in Nigeria by the @MBuhari administration should be ignored by @Jack. The Buhari government has no means to effect the suspension, and even members of the administration are still on Twitter.”
Paul C Nwabuikwu @paul_nwabuikwu “Nigeria’s ban on Twitter operations was announced on Twitter by a gentleman who used a Twitter handle to identify himself. Fascinating.”
Farooq Kperogi, Ph.D @farooqkperogi “Does Lai Mohammed know that there’s a little something called VPN that Nigerians can use to circumvent the Federal Government’s so-called ban on Twitter in Nigeria? These ignorant, prehistoric creatures in gov’t never cease to amaze with their insufferable boneheadedness.”
Man of Letters. @Letter_to_Jack “Buhari and APC campaigned vigorously on twitter in the run-in to the elections in 2015. Today they have suspended twitter in Nigeria. We went from frying pan straight into the fire.”
Dr PamPam | Omo Iya Ologi @UnclePamilerin “If they want us to take this Twitter in Nigeria suspension serious, Buhari, Bashir, Femi Adesina, Lai Mohammed and the rest of the gang should first deactivate their account, then we will know that they mean business.”
OLUOMO OF DERBY @Oluomoofderby “If Nigerians don’t come out in millions and put a stop to all this madness in our society, we will only have ourselves to blame. Banning Twitter in Nigeria should be a wake up call to everyone of us. We can’t keep on living like slaves in our country in 2021. Enough is Enough.”
