MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9Mobile Blocked Access to Twitter
MTN Nigeria, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile have officially blocked access to Twitter on Saturday following a regulatory directive aimed at suspending the U.S. social media giant indefinitely.
Recall that Federal Government on Friday announced via Federal Ministry of Information that it had suspended Twitter’s activities indefinitely.
The suspension on the microblogging and social networking services came just two days after the platform removed a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists amidst ongoing unrest in the country.
Following the suspension, the country’s attorney general ordered an immediate prosecution of those who break rules banning Twitter. He did not provide details of who would be targeted.
“Based on national interest provisions … our members have acted in compliance with the directives of the Nigerian Communications Commission,” the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said, confirming the suspension.
Information Minister Lai Mohammed said on Friday the government had acted because of “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.
He did not say what form the suspension would take.
Buhari’s government, which runs Africa’s largest economy, last year proposed legislation to regulate social media following protests against alleged police brutality which were galvanized by a campaign on Twitter.
The demonstrations demanding police reforms drew global attention. #EndSARS led to lost of lives and properties across the country while Twitter recognised the struggle and promoted #ENDSARS on the platform.
On Saturday, reacting to the development, Twitter said it will work to restore access for all those in Nigeria who rely on the platform to communicate and connect with the world, posting another tweet the day after it said the suspension was “deeply concerning”.
MTN, Glo, Airtel, 9Mobile Blocked Access to Twitter
