Tag: Twitter Ban

President Buhari lifts suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria

Aminu Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari has lifted the suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria for deleting his post last year. According to the president, Twitter would start re-operating in Nigeria effective from 12a.m, January 13, 2022. However, the president ordered that the ban be lifted on condition that the social-media platform is used for business and positive engagements. The Director-General National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), and Chairman, of the Technical Committee, Nigeria-Twitter Engagement, Kashifu Inuwa, made the disclosure in an issued public statement to newsmen, yesterday. Abdullahi said the Federal Government…

Read More

Twitter Ban: Activist tackles el-Rufa’i over using App outside Nigeria

Aminu Imam

Human rights activist, Rinu Oduala, has tackled the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmed el-Rufa’i, for using the Twitter app outside the country. Recall that on 5 June, the Federal Government officially put an indefinite ban on Twitter, restricting it from operating in Nigeria. The governor made a tweet on Wednesday, in reply to a tweet by the human rights activist, stating that he is outside the country, not using VPN to tweet. His tweet read: VPN? Nope, outside Nigeria for a couple of days, so can tweet for the time…

Read More

Buhari directs conditional lifting of Twitter ban

Aminu Imam

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday, said he had directed a conditional lifting of the ban placed by the Federal Government on the operations of the micro-blogging site, Twitter, in Nigeria, in June. Buhari disclosed this in his nationwide broadcast to Nigerians to mark the nations 61st independence. He described social media as a very useful platform but regretted that some users have misused the platform to organise, coordinate, and execute criminal activities, propagate fake news, and promote ethnic and religious sentiments. The President said, “Following the suspension of Twitter operations,…

Read More

Twitter ban to end very soon, FG assures

Aminu Imam

The Federal Government has said that it was very close to resolving the disagreement that led to the ban of the operation of the micro-blogging site, Twitter, in the country. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who had on August 11 assured that the Twitter ban would be lifted soon, restated his assurance at the end of the virtual Federal Executive Council, (FEC), meeting presided over by President Buhari, yesterday. Recall that the Federal Government had on June 5 put an indefinite ban on Twitter, restricting it from operating in…

Read More

FIRS to collect N5tr tax from Twitter, other social media platforms

Aminu Imam

Raises 2022 tax collection by nearly 30% The Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS), says it has set up an international unit that would tax giant digital companies like Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms in 2022. The Executive Chairman of FIRS, Mohammed Nami, made this on Wednesday, during his appearance before the public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on the 2022-2024 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, (MTEF), and Fiscal Strategy Paper, (FSP). According to him, the 2022 projected revenue from FIRS rose by N5 trillion due to registration of Twitter and other…

Read More

“We wont rest until social media is regulated”, Lai Moh’d insist

Aminu Imam

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says the Federal Government will not rest until social media platforms are regulated. The minister, in an interview with newsmen in Washington yesterday, said the dangers of fake news on social media must be taken seriously. Mohammed also explained that the on-line media report that he ‘sneaked out of Nigeria to meet with Twitter executives’ in the US is fake, saying he came to the US to meet with international media organisations and think-tanks on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buharis administration,…

Read More

Juat In: FG to lift Twitter ban in a matter of days – Lai Mohammed

Aminu Imam

The Federal Government has hinted that the ban on the social networking site, Twitter, in Nigeria, which has been in place for over two months, will be lifted soon. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lal Mohammed, while fielding questions from the press at the State House after Wednesdays FEC meeting, updated Nigerians on the issue saying that progress has been made in resolving the stalemate following series of meetings. Recall that on June 5, 2021, the FG had officially banned Twitters indefinitely, thereby restricting it from operating in Nigeria…

Read More

Rights groups sue telcos over Twitter ban in Nigeria

Aminu Imam

Some human rights groups, EIE Nigeria, Paradigm Initiative and Media Rights Agenda, have dragged Telecommunications companies in Nigeria to court for blocking access to Twitter in the country, following a ban placed on the platform by the Federal Government. Announcing the decision in an issued statement signed by the Programme Officer, Anglophone-West Africa, Paradigm Initiative, Khadijah el-Usman, on Friday, the groups said it was evident that the government didnt have the sole responsibility of the disregard for human rights in the country. Following the suspension of twitter in Nigeria in…

Read More

Twitters suspension in Nigeria worrisome US

Aminu Imam

The US consulate in Lagos has stated that the suspension of Twitter by the Nigerian government is deeply worrisome. This remark was made by US consul-general, Claire Pierangelo at a programme titled: Conversation on Press Freedom, Freedom of Expression and Civic Space in Nigeria, which held in Lagos. According to Pierangelo, the governments intention to introduce registration requirements for social media platforms, banning or restricting social media with threats of prosecution, undermines the human rights and fundamental freedom of Nigerians. Nigerian governments ongoing suspension of Twitter and stated intent to…

Read More

Twitter Ban: “We are closely monitoring repression, access to information, media freedom and disregard for rule of law in Nigeria” Commonwealth

Aminu Imam

The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, has stated that the Commonwealth is closely monitoring developments around the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria. Ms. Scotland said, All Commonwealth member countries, including Nigeria, have obligations and commitments to uphold freedom of expression as one of the core values and principles of the Commonwealth Charter. This underscores a commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights covenants and international instruments.. Also being monitored are allegations of repression of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information,…

Read More