The federal government has claimed the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria is temporary.
The Presidency, in a statement on Saturday, insisted the decision was not just a response to the removal of President Muhammadu Buhari’s post.
The statement was signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu.
“The temporary suspension of Twitter is not just a response to the removal of the President’s post.
“There has been a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences. All the while, the company has escaped accountability.
“Nevertheless, the removal of President Buhari’s tweet was disappointing. The censoring seemed based on a misunderstanding of the challenges Nigeria faces today.
“This and similar crimes which have been fueled by social media networks risk seeping into the fabric of an emerging digital culture.
“This isn’t a promotion of hate, but a pledge to uphold citizens’ right to freedom from harm. The government can’t be expected to capitulate to terrorists.
“Twitter doesn’t seem to appreciate the national trauma of our country’s civil war. This government shall not allow a recurrence of that tragedy,” it read in part.
