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.
The regional court ruled against the Federal Government of Nigeria on the suspension of Twitter, saying the app is a fundamental right.
The ECOWAS Court also ruled that the Federal Government cannot arrest or prosecute anybody for using Twitter.
Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project, SERAP, had on Sunday, released a statement that it had dragged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government to court for placing a ban on Twitter.
The FG, in defence, told ECOWAS Court in a document made available to Vanguard that the it suspended the service of Twitter Inc. in compliance with the relevant provision of its domestic laws. “The suspension was premised on reasons of national interest and national security of Nigeria.”
It also stated that the suspension of the operation of Twitter in Nigeria has nothing to do with the account of individual twitter users in Nigeria.
The FG also challenged the capacity of the court to sit on the subject matter, stating that “This Honourable court lacks the jurisdiction to determine the criminalisation of an act under Nigerian domestic laws.”
