Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), and the federal government have been sued for suspending social media platform, Twitter.
In an originating motion marked FHC/L/CS/542/2021, a human rights lawyer, National Legal Adviser of the African Action Congress cum Co-Convener of the Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, Inibehe Effiong is seeking nine reliefs, including an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further suspending, deactivating or banning the operation and accessibility of Twitter or any other social media service in Nigeria.
He also asked the court to declare as illegal the threat of criminal prosecution issued by AGF Malami and Mohammed against Nigerians who ‘violate’ the suspension or ban of Twitter, despite the absence of any written law.
The activist equally asked the court to declare that the act of the respondents is unjustifiable, unconstitutional, unjustifiable, undemocratic, arbitrary, null and void and amounts to a violation of the right of the applicant and other Nigerians.
“It is therefore contrary to Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap A9 LFN 2004 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
