Telcos move to implement Twitter ban by Nigerian government

 

Telecommunication companies in Nigeria say they have started blocking access to Twitter in compliance with the Federal Government directives.

On Friday, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had announced government ban of Twitter operations in Nigeria, in apparent reciprocal to the removal of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet, judged offensive by Twitter.

In a statement on Saturday, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said its members had started blocking access to Twitter.

“We, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria wish to confirm that our members have received formal instructions from the Nigerian Communications Commission, the industry regulator to suspend access to Twitter.”

“ALTON has conducted a robust assessment of the directive in accordance with internationally accepted principles.

READ: Twitter, a source of livelihood for many Nigerian youths – Makinde

“Based on national interest provisions in the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and within the licence terms under which the industry operates; our members have acted in compliance with the directives of the Nigerian Communications Commission, the industry regulator.

“We will continue to engage all the relevant authorities and stakeholders and will act as may be further directed by the NCC. We remain committed to supporting the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and upholding the rights of citizens.

“As an industry, we endorse the position of the United Nations that the rights held by people offline must also be protected online. This includes respecting and protecting the rights of all people to communicate, to share information freely and responsibly, and to enjoy privacy and security regarding their data and their use of digital communications,” read the statement jointly signed by ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo and ALTON Executive Secretary, Gbolahan Awonuga.

Meanwhile, many Nigerians are said to have opted for Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to circumvent the Twitter ban.