Twitter has reacted to the indefinite suspension of the social media site by the Nigerian government, expressing concern.
A statement by a Twitter spokesperson reads:
“The announcement made by the Nigerian Govt that they have suspended Twitter’s operations in Nigeria is deeply concerning. We’re investigating and will provide updates when we know more.”
While Twitter does not have physical offices in Nigeria, the platform is freely available in the country and has up to 2 million users, according to some estimates.
The government’s suspension as announced by Lai Mohammed, the Minister for Information and Culture, has been interpreted as a potential directive to Internet Service Providers to cut off users’ access to the social media platform
As we have reported, the suspension is a culmination of a three-day drama. It started when Twitter deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari for violating its rules.
A few hours after Twitter’s action, Mohammed, the Information Minister, held a press conference in which he denounced the US social media company for having a suspicious agenda in Nigeria. He accused Twitter of enabling violence during #EndSARS protests in October 2020.
