#TwitterBan: Nigeria’s House Of Reps Summons Information Minister
The House of Representatives has ordered an investigation into the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s House of Representatives, the lower legislative chamber, has summoned Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture over the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria.
The green chamber also mandated its committees on communication, justice, information and culture, and national security and intelligence at its sitting on Tuesday, June, 8, 2021 to immediately open an investigation into the suspension of the site.
Mohammed, had on Friday, June 4, announced the suspension of Twitter citing the persistent use of the platform for “activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.” He said the site was being used to divide citizens.
The suspension came after Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s controversial tweet was taken down by the social media platform for breaching its rules on inciting violence.
Also on Monday, June 7, Geoffrey Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs invited the envoys of the US, UK, Canada, and European Union for what he called a ‘friendly conversation’ over their comments on the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.
The Minister had also during the meeting with the envoys said that Twitter’s operations in Nigeria would be restored only on the basis that the platform would be used “responsibly.”
Since the suspension of Twitter operations, Nigerians have been accessing the microblogging site through a virtual protection network (VPN), despite the threat of being prosecuted by the government.
International human rights groups have called on the government to rescind its order.
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