The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has defended the Federal Government’s Twitter ban stating that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) is using the microblogging platform to impair the country.
The minister said this on Monday night during an interview with BBC News Africa, expressing that the Federal Government’s decision to suspend Twitter was because of the constant use of the platform to carry out actions capable of destroying Nigeria’s corporate existence.
In his words, “The government has suspended the operations of Twitter in Nigeria indefinitely because of the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.
“The main reason for this is because of the persistent use of Twitter in particular for activities that are inimical to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
“IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu in particular, his platform of choice to destabilise the country is Twitter.”
He added that micro-blogging platform is the choice of “the separatist leader who resides outside Nigeria, but issues directives for his members to attack the symbols of authority such as policemen, soldiers, correctional centres, electoral offices and this has been done willfully and consistently without consequences always using the Twitter platform.”
Individuals, entities have criticised the Federal Government’s decision to suspend operations of Twitter in Nigeria, stating that it is a breach of the freedom of speech.
