BREAKING: Twitter reacts, expresses concern over FG’s suspension of its operations

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Microblogging and social networking service, Twitter has expressed “deep concern” stating its investigating the federal government of Nigeria’s indefinite suspension of its operations in Nigeria.

Twitter’s Senior Policy Communications Manager for Europe, Middle East and Africa,Sarah Hart made this known in a statement, stated the company is investigating the development.

“The announcement made by the Nigerian Government that they have suspended Twitter’s operations in Nigeria is deeply concerning.

Heart

“We’re investigating and will provide updates when we know more,” the statement said.

Recall that the federal government suspended Twitter’s operations in a statement on Friday.

The country’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed had announced the indefinite suspension on Friday, via a statement issued in Abuja.

He said the government was forced to act because of “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Mohammed stated that the Federal Government had also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.

Twitter had Wednesday deleted President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet posted Tuesday where he threatened to deal with secessionists “in the language they understand”.

The social media giant had said the tweet violated the Twitter Rules.

The President had released a series of tweets after meeting with the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday, wherein he warned that those promoting insurrection and those sponsoring destruction of critical national assets would soon have the shock of their lives.

He also threatened to deal with “those misbehaving today” “in the language they understand.”

Though the President tweeted five tweets on his meeting with Prof. Yakubu, it was the last tweet that Twitter said violated its rules and was deleted, while the remaining four tweets were retained.

In the controversial tweet which had been widely criticized by twitter users, President Buhari said: “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”

The federal government had accused Twitter of taking sides and said its was suspicious of the microblogging site’s role in the IPOB agitation for Biafa.