Court rules that Nigerian government cannot arrest anyone for using Twitter

By Chad Williams Last updated Jun 22, 2021

The move comes after a suit filed against the Nigerian government by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians arguing that the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria was unlawful.

The Abuja based ECOWAS court justice has restrained Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s government from prosecuting people for using social media platform Twitter in a landmark court ruling on Tuesday. Photo: Pixabay.

CAPE TOWN, June 22 (ANA) – The Abuja based ECOWAS court of justice restrained Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s government from prosecuting people for using social media platform Twitter in a landmark court ruling on Tuesday.

The ruling comes after a suit filed against the Nigerian government by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians who argued that the suspension of Twitter in the West African country was unlawful, according to online news publication Vanguard Nigeria.

The court of justice is composed of independent judges appointed by the authority of heads of state of government from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member states.

SERAP, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, legal and advocacy organisation devoted to promoting transparency, accountability and respect for socio-economic rights in Nigeria, said the criminalisation of people using Twitter had escalated the repression of human rights and unlawfully restricted freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom in the country.

It said the ECOWAS court ruling meant that no one would be sanctioned, harassed, intimidated, arrested or prosecuted for using Twitter in Nigeria.

The ruling also means that technology companies must immediately restore people’s access to the social media platform as a human right.

VICTORY: The ECOWAS Court of Justice, Abuja in a landmark ruling today has stopped the Buhari administration and its agents from intimidating, sanctioning, arresting or prosecuting anyone for using Twitter in Nigeria, pending the final determination of the suit.

Details shortly.

— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) June 22, 2021

The court gave the order after hearing arguments from SERAP solicitor Femi Falana and government lawyer Maimuna Shiru.

“Any interference with Twitter is viewed as inference with human rights, and that will violate human rights. Therefore, this court has jurisdiction to hear the case. The court also hereby orders that the application be heard expeditiously. The Nigerian government must take immediate steps to implement the order,” the court said, according to a statement issued by SERAP on Tuesday.

Falana said the intervention of the ECOWAS court of justice was a timely relief for millions of Nigerians using Twitter who had been threatened with prosecution under the provision of the country’s penal code relating to sedition.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa