#Twitterban: Adeboye Defies Government, Says Tweeting Within Universal Human Rights
Adeboye says tweeting is a universal human right and the Nigerian government should not deprive citizens.
Enoch Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), has reacted to the Nigerian government’s ban on Twitter usage in the country.
Adeboye in a tweet on Monday, June 7, 2021, said tweeting is in accordance with Article 19 of the UN universal declaration of human rights.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God is domiciled in more than 170 Nations & Territories. The tweets here are in accordance to Article 19 of the UN universal declaration of Human Rights.
— Pastor Adeboye (@PastorEAAdeboye) June 7, 2021
As of Monday, June 7 afternoon, both Nigerian President Mohammadu Buhari and Yemi Osinbajo, his vice, still have their Twitter accounts intact.
The ICIR reported on Sunday, June 6, 2021 that some government officials including Abubakar Malami, Minister of Justice, Ahmed Lawan, Senate President, Femi Gbajabiamila House of Representatives Speaker, and Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy Senate President were yet to delete their Twitter handle despite the suspension and threat by the government to prosecute Nigerians still using the social media platform.
Nigerian government on Friday, June 4, 2021 announced the suspension of Twitter activities in the country.
The move comes just days after Twitter deleted a divisive tweet in a thread by Nigerian President Buhari threatening violence on suspected Biafran separatists fomenting attacks in the country’s Southeast region.
President Buhari had on Tuesday June 1, 2021, in a tweet, said his government would deal with suspected separatists attacking government institutions and security formations in “the language they understand,” citing his role as brigadier general in the 1967 civil war that claimed two million lives.
Twitter deleted the president’s tweet, saying it violated its rules against inciting violence.
Defending the suspension, the government accused Twitter of playing double standards on issues concerning Nigeria’s unity.
Since the ban, Nigerians have been accessing Twitter through the use of a virtual private network (VPN).
On Saturday, June 5, 2021, Abubakar Malami, the Nigeria’s Attorney-General of Federation (AGF), ordered the prosecution of those violating the Twitter ban in Nigeria.
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