Nigeria’s suspend Twitter’s operations in the country, Mobile phone networks were ordered to blocked access, but some users are getting around the ban. Twitter deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari for breaching the site’s rules. Mr Buhari’s post referred to Nigeria’s civil war four decades ago, as a veiled threat towards a secessionist movement in the south-east of the country.
Millions of Nigerians were unable to access Twitter on Saturday after the government enforced an indefinite suspension of the microblogging platform’s operations in Nigeria.
According to The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria, its members have suspended access to Twitter in compliance with a government directive to do so.
The U.S. mission in Nigeria said that Nigeria’s constitution provides for freedom of expression.
“The Government’s recent #Twitterban undermines Nigerians’ ability to exercise this fundamental freedom and sends a poor message to its citizens, investors and businesses. Banning social media and curbing every citizen’s ability to seek, receive, and impart information undermines fundamental freedoms,” it said in a statement.
In its reaction, Twitter said it is deeply concerned by the government’s action saying free and open internet is an essential human right in modern society.
There are an estimated 40 million Twitter users in Nigeria. Many them young people who have been finding a way around the ban by turning to virtual private network (VPN) apps to access the social media platform. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has warned that those defying the government’s ban on Twitter will be prosecuted.
