The ECOWAS Court sitting in Abuja has hinged its judgement against the Federal Government on the banning of Twitter on the need for the protection of people’s human rights.
The court on Monday in Abuja stopped the FG from penalising Twitter users.
The government had said it would penalise such, including prominent Nigerians that include the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor EA Adeboye.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had also ordered all radio and television stations to deactivate their Twitter accounts.
The court noted the ‘unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, criminalization of Nigerians and other people using Twitter have escalated repression of human rights and unlawfully restricted the rights of Nigerians and other people to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom in the country’
“It said, “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.”
Following the ban and subsequent threat of prosecution, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians challenged the decision before the ECOWAS Court.
Ruling on the case after hearing arguments from Solicitor to SERAP, Femi Falana SAN, and lawyer to the government, Maimuna Shiru, the court restrained the Federal government from unlawfully imposing sanctions or harass, intimidate, arrest or prosecute Twitter and/or any other social media service provider(s), media houses, radio and television broadcast stations, the Plaintiffs and other Nigerians who are Twitter users, pending the hearing and determination of this suit.”
