New Telegraph

Twitter ban: Lawyer drags FG, AGF, minister to court 

 

Akeem Nafiu

A rights activist, Inibehe Effiong, has taken the Federal Government and two others to a Federal High Court in Lagos over the suspension of Twitter operations in the country. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, as well as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), were joined as co-respondents in the suit.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/542/2021, the lawyer is among other reliefs seeking an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further suspending, deactivating or banning the operations and accessibility of Twitter or any other social media service in Nigeria.
He wants the court to declare the threat by the Federal Government to prosecute citizens who ‘violate’ the suspension or ban of Twitter in the absence of any written law as illegal.
Effiong argued that suspending the operation and accessibility of Twitter in Nigeria without any written law amounts to a violation of his right and other Nigerians to use Twitter for expression, reception of information and impartation of ideas. He added that the Federal Government’s action is unconstitutional, unjustifiable, undemocratic, arbitrary, null and void.
The lawyer further revealed that he has consistently used Twitter and other microblogging platforms to express his views on the failure, inadequacies and performance of the government at all levels, including the Federal Government and its agencies.

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