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Nigeria says it suspends Twitter days after president's post removed

Published 06/04/2021, 12:10 PM
Updated 06/05/2021, 04:21 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture taken September 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: People holding mobile phones are silhouetted against a backdrop projected with the Twitter logo in this illustration picture taken September 27, 2013. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

ABUJA (Reuters) -Nigeria said on Friday it had indefinitely suspended Twitter's activities, two days after the social media giant removed a post from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists.

Information Minister Lai Mohammed said the government had acted because of "the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence".

Mohammed did not spell out what form the suspension would take or give more details on the undermining activities. His ministry also announced Twitter's suspension on Twitter https://twitter.com/FMICNigeria/status/1400843062641717249.

When asked about the details of the suspension, a ministerial aide told Reuters: "Wait and see how things will turn out."

As of the early hours of Saturday, Twitter's website was inaccessible in Nigeria on some mobile carriers, while its app and website worked on others, according to Reuters tests in Lagos and Abuja.

Twitter is investigating its "deeply concerning" suspension of operations by the Nigerian government, and "will provide updates when we know more," the company said in a statement.

On Wednesday, the U.S. tech firm said Buhari's post threatening to punish groups blamed for attacks on government buildings had violated Twitter's "abusive behaviour" policy.

In April, the information minister reacted angrily when Twitter chose neighbouring Ghana for its first African office. He said the company had been influenced by media misrepresentations of Nigeria, including reports of crackdowns on protests last year.

Demonstrators calling for police reform had used social media to organise, raise money and share alleged proof of police harassment. Twitter's chief executive, Jack Dorsey, tweeted https://twitter.com/jack/status/1316485283777519620?s=20 to encourage his followers to donate.

In the protests' wake, Mohammed called for "some form of regulation" on social media to combat "fake news".

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari poses before the opening session of the Summit on the Financing of African Economies in Paris, France May 18, 2021. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

A spokesperson for Airtel, one of Nigeria's largest mobile carriers, on Friday declined to say whether the company had received any government directives about the suspension.

MTN, the largest mobile carrier, did not respond to calls and a message seeking comment.

Latest comments

Good. Finally the people wake up. Ban twitter world wide
Nobody ******cares about the Dark Continent!!
I have been saying since the days of arab spring back since 2008 that twitter is American neocon and bibi netenyahoos proopaganda machine.
yes Joel, bibi learned how to utilize tweeter from the ex American President, Donald Trump.
Nigeria has more guts and morals than the US obviously..
Whether or not your agree with the tweet, it is not up to Twitter to editorialize, censor, and craft narratives (like the tyrants on the left embrace in the US and other socialist/communist countries). The people in the country can see the message and decide for themselves whether they agree and whether it is appropriate, and react accordingly. If Twitter does want to editorialize, censor, etc and act as a political agent then they can, but they have to declare themselves as no longer being unbiased and no longer protected under 230. The danger is when entities that control public discourse and communication pretend to be unbiased but clearly have a political agenda, that is how dictatorships have operated throughout human history. Just look at places like China and North Korea.
twitter can do whatever it wants to. it is a private company. shareholders only invest in the company. they do not own anything.
btw, the only one that EMBRACED anything communist was trump. he buddied up to the dictators and tried to become one himself. democracy won out in the end. it is the radical right wingers that are the problem and their love for the fascist trump
One day.. youll forget about trump and figure out whats making your hair turn purple. Trump was a cash cow for liberals and conservatives.
Crazy that we live in a world where Nigeria fights for free speech more than the US
you have all the free speech you want in the USA.
Good. Facebook and Twitter are fueling secessionism all over the world. It’s finally backfiring in their face as the grab poor solutions like trying to moderate content without any idea of context. More countries will follow
Look forward to paper newspapers were the editor could be held accountable for publishing bsht. Social media was a great mistake.
their company; their rules. you can always move to trump's buddy, putin's russia, and enjoy their free speech.
 Their country their rules.  Nigeria should let Twitter taste its own medicine.
Twitter should be banned globally
good
Good move Twitter censors free speech
twitter is a private company and can do what they want . start your own social media company and make your rules to your liking.
  Nigeria is a sovereign country and can do what it wants even more than Twitter can.
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