The Twitter Ban drama in Nigeria takes another turn, as Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned citizens, Drags the Nigerian Government To the ECOWAS community Court.
SERAP and the 176 concerned Nigerians were said to have filed a lawsuit against the Buhari-led administration over “the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, criminalisation of Nigerians and other people using Twitter and the increased repression of human rights, particularly the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom in the country.”
Femi Falana SAN- Solicitor to SERAP in the suit filed said the plaintiffs sought for
“An order of interim injunction restraining the federal government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, and subjecting anyone, including media houses, broadcast stations using Twitter in Nigeria, to harassment, intimidation, arrest and criminal prosecution pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
They also argued that
“If this application is not urgently granted, the federal government will continue to at free will and without cause suspend Twitter and threaten to impose criminal and other sanctions on innocent Nigerians, telecommunication companies, media houses, broadcast stations and other people using Twitter in Nigeria, the perpetual order sought in this suit might be rendered invalid /inoperative.”
As at the time of this report, date for the hearing of the interim application and the substantive suit is yet to be disclosed.