A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, on Friday, faulted the decision of the Federal Government to suspend Twitter operations in Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had earlier on Friday announced the suspension of Twitter activities in Nigeria.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Adeyemi, the minister said the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence as the reason for the government’s suspension of its operation in the country.
Falana, who spoke to journalists shortly after the announcement, said the development showed that President Muhammadu Buhari has suspended Chapter IV of 1999 Constitution.
He said the suspension of Twitter operation was also contrary to the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act which seeks to expand information and access to it.
He also predicted that the federal government would soon suspend international news networks like CNN, BBC, and Al Jazeera for alleged breach of the country’s broadcasting code.
Falana said: “This act has confirmed the suspension of Chapter IV of the constitution. Very soon, Nigerians will be restricted to NTA and the FRCN as the only source of information.
“Media organisations like Channels TV and others have been fined for embarrassing the government and they may be proscribed soon.
“The decision of the NBC to impose fines on media houses based on an illegally amended Broadcasting Code. It is a rehearsal of the imminent proscription of local media organisations that publish anything considered defamatory or seditious by the government.”
“With what has happened to Twitter, other media houses like CNN, BBC, and Al Jazeera will also be suspended.”