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Twitter Ban: You Have Restricted Citizens’ Freedom Of Expression – UN Tells Buhari

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The United Nations (UN) has told the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari that its directive on the Twitter ban is a restriction of the right of citizens to freedom of expression.

This is as the UN expressed concerns about the federal government’s directive.

It will be recalled that the federal government in a statement by the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed had on June 4, announced the indefinite suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria because it said the social media platform is undermining the nation’s sovereignty and security by its activities.

The suspension came on the heels of Twitter’s decision to remove a tweet by President Buhari which made reference to the 1967 genocide during the country’s civil war which the social media giant said contravenes its rules.

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Reacting to the Twitter ban, the UN on Tuesday via its own Twitter account, told the government to reconsider its decision.

“We are concerned by Nigeria’s #TwitterBan which followed a decision by Twitter to remove a Presidential tweet. Sweeping bans that intentionally prevent or disrupt access to, or dissemination of, information online severely restrict the right to freedom of expression,” it said.

Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has accused the federal government of using the Twitter ban to divert Nigerians attention from its failures to tackle insecurity.

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In a post on his Twitter page on Tuesday, the Benue governor described the indefinite suspension of Twitter by the Muhammadu Buhari administration as illegal.

Samuel Ortom said the ban is a suppression of the fundamental rights of Nigerians.

According to the governor, the government’s action is a gag on social media.

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