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NBC directs TV, radio stations to de-install Twitter handles

Lukman ABOLADE
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NBC directs TV, radio stations to de-install Twitter handles

THE National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has directed all television and radio stations as well as other broadcasting services to de-install a US-based social media platform, Twitter.

This was contained in a statement signed by Director-General of NBC Armstrong Idichaba on Monday in Abuja.

The Nigerian government had, on Friday, suspended the operations of Twitter in Nigeria, an action that has been criticised by the European Union, United Kingdom and other international communities.

But Idichaba, in the statement, said the broadcasting services should also desist from using Twitter for information gathering.

“In Compliance to the above directive, Broadcasting Stations are hereby advised to de- install twitter handles and desist from using twitter as a source (UGC) of information gathering for News and programmes Presentation especially Phone-in,” the statement read in part.

NBC noted that the commission’s Act empowered it to ensure ‘strict adherence’ to Nigeria’s laws and regulations.

Although there is no Nigerian law that forbids the use of Twitter in Nigeria, NBC said it would be ‘unpatriotic’ for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to patronise the platform

The ICIR had reported that despite the suspension, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is yet to deactivate his account.

Also, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, and Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege all have active accounts on Twitter.

Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, who said the government would prosecute anyone found using Twitter, still maintains an active account on the platform.

The ICIR understands that despite the suspension and prosecution threat, many Nigerians, including some state governors, have continued to post from their Twitter accounts.

Governors of Kaduna, Oyo and Ondo states have tweeted from their accounts after the suspension and threat of prosecution by the Federal Government.

Nasir El Rufai using Twitter after suspension
Nasir El Rufai using Twitter after suspension
Seyi Makinde using Twitter after suspension
Seyi Makinde using Twitter after suspension
Rotimi Akeredolu using Twitter after suspension
Rotimi Akeredolu using Twitter after suspension

Nigerians criticise NASS for keeping silent on Twitter ban

Harrison EDEH
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Nigerians criticise NASS for keeping silent on Twitter ban

FOLLOWING the swiftness with which the Federal Government enforced Twitter suspension in Nigeria and compliance by telecoms service providers, experts have lampooned Nigeria’s representatives at the National Assembly for their silence,  saying that it is not healthy for a liberal democracy.

They express concern that various committees with oversight function over the telecommunications sector at the Senate and the House of Representatives have remained silent, despite the ban’s negative impact on livelihoods of millions of Nigerians.

Apart from the House of Representatives minority caucus and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who have spoken up against the ban, the committees on the ICT from both houses have been silent, which is a poor signal for Nigeria’s quest for liberal democracy, analysts say.

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“Millions of people have their livelihoods tied to Twitter and social media. We also have people specialising in influencing on the social media, who have their livelihoods attacked by this decision. I wonder why our representatives at the National Assembly are not speaking out to this since they are representatives of the people,” a media personality and Bbnaija star Tacha Adike said in a Channels Television-monitored programme on Sunday in Abuja.

“Twitter has millions of Nigerians on its platform. Most of us reach out to a larger audience on this platform. There are small businesses thriving on this platform, there are families surviving through businesses on this platform. The government has to re-think its strategy on suspension of Twitter, for it has provided a sustainable means of livelihood for several Nigerians,” Tacha noted.

Speaking further on the Twitter suspension, David Hundeyin, who described Twitter as the official opposition party in the country, said the ban signposted weak media freedom in Nigeria.

“Specifically, the type of engagement that goes on in Twitter are more critical and contains more critical reasoning, the type that the Nigerian government doesn’t want to see. Twitter is more intellectual and there are studies proving this. Twitter is effectively an opposition party in Nigeria,” Hundeyin said.

He called on the National Assembly and other elected representatives to rise up to the occasion and take up the issue.

“The elected representatives need to understand that this is a fight for everyone now,” he noted.

Legal practitioner Timi Olagunju called on Nigerians to engage the elected representatives on the need to address concerns raised by the Nigerian people on government’s suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

“We have more of a presidency than a president. My heartfelt sympathy goes to media houses for if a single tweet could cause this ban, then there is more to it,” he said.

“The ban is in violation of several treaties signed by the Nigerian government on freedom of expression,” he stressed.

South-West governors direct Amotekun to begin joint operations after Igangan attack

Marcus FATUNMOLE
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South-West governors direct Amotekun to begin joint operations after Igangan attack

THE Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Operation Amotekun, will soon begin joint operations in six states of the South-West.

Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu said this in a statement on Sunday.

The decision followed a renewed attack on Igangan community, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State, by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

Videos from the incident were posted on social media, and reports in some of them said about 20 people died in the attack.

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Fulani herdsmen kill residents, burn houses in fresh attack on Oyo community

The videos showed residences, stalls, cars and different property set ablaze by the assailants.

They were said to have stormed the community in large numbers and attacked everything in sight.

A popular fuel station and the palace of the town’s monarch were among the facilities said to have been burnt down by the invaders.

Reacting, Akeredolu said: “we have directed the Commanders of the South West Security Network, Amotekun, to convoke a joint security meeting of all Commanders in the South-West with a view to commencing joint operations in the region immediately.”

He described the attack as “premeditated…horrendous, callous and highly provocative.”

Akeredolu said governors in the region had resolved to defend their people, property, and legitimate means of livelihood against internal and external aggression. On this, there would be no compromise, he stated.

He, however, called on people of the region to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement in their communities.

He also urged them to be united in the task of defending themselves and their property.

In the statement titled ‘Iigangan provocative onslaught one too many,’ the governor said: “We must reiterate the fact that certain elements are bent on causing friction among the peoples of this country with the sole aim of achieving a pernicious end. They will stop at nothing until their set goal is realized. It is, therefore, incumbent on all lovers of peace and freedom to rise against this current regression into savagery.”

A South-West self-determination activitist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, stormed Igangan in January this year and threatened to evict the Fulanis who allegedly declared war on their hosts.

The home of the Fulani leader in the community and other buildings owned by the Fulanis were torched shortly after Ighoho left the community by some youths.

South-West governors
South-West governors

Shortly after the attacks at Igangan, Yoruba and Hausa traders attacked one another in February, leading to several deaths and monumental destruction of goods, stalls and homes.

Oyo State is among states in the country terrorised by killer herders, who are mainly Fulanis.

In the contry’s North-Central, Benue State has been a killing field for the herders in recent time, since Governor Samuel Ortom signed a bill prohibiting open grazing into law.

Governors of 17 southern states in the country jointly banned open grazing in May at a meeting in Delta State.

A notorious Fulani leader in Oyo Iskilu Wakili has been remanded in prison following his arrest earlier this year.

Wakili is accused of kidnapping and other crimes.

The ICIR had earlier investigated how residents of the agrarian community and other neighbouring communities lived under fear of attack by the Fulani herdsmen.

Meanwhile, in a swift reaction, the Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde urged residents of Igangan to remain calm, adding that security operatives were now in control of the situation.

Buhari, Osinbajo, Malami, others run active Twitter accounts despite prosecution threat

Damilola OJETUNDE
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Buhari, Osinbajo, Malami, others run active Twitter accounts despite prosecution threat

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s Twitter account is still active despite his administration’s ban on the operations of the microblogging platform and its threat to prosecute users in Nigeria.

Other top officials of the government who are yet to deactivate their Twitter handles are Vice President Yemi Osinabjo, Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, Senate President Ahmed Lawan, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, and Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege.

Others are Ministers in the Federal Executive Council of the administration such as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Pantami, Minister of Transportation Chibuike Ameachi, Minister of Finance Zainab Ahmed, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva, among others, checks by The ICIR have confirmed.

Zainab Ahmed account

Timipre Sylva

Malami had threatened on Saturday that the government would prosecute anyone found accessing Twitter after its suspension. If this were to be swiftly implemented, these top officials of the government, including the president and his vice, would be prosecuted.

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The Ministry of Information and Culture, whose account was used on Friday to announce the suspension of Twitter’s operations in Nigeria, is still active 48 hours after the announcement.

Ministry of Information and Culture account

On the list of top government officials whose accounts are still active are the presidential aides. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina runs an active account. Other aides with active accounts are Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity Garba Shehu and Senior Assistant to Vice President on Media Laolu Akande.

Femi Adesina account

Garba Shehu account

Laolu Akande accountOthers are Special Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media Tolu Ogunlesi, and President Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media Bashir Ahmed.

Tolu Ogunlesi account

Bashir Ahmad account

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) that directed all network providers to block access to Twitter runs an active account.

NCC Account

Nigerians defy FG’s prosecution threat, continue to use Twitter

Lukman ABOLADE
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Nigerians defy FG’s prosecution threat, continue to use Twitter

NIGERIANS have continued to use Twitter, defying the Federal Government’s threat to prosecute violators of ban on the social media platform.

The ICIR understands that many Nigerians are accessing Twitter through the Virtual Private Network (VPN) and have continued to tweet after changing it to a location outside Nigeria.

Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami had said on Saturday that the government would prosecute anyone found accessing Twitter after its suspension.

But a human rights activist and former presidential aspirant Omoyele Sowore, who tweets @YeleSowore, has continued to post using Twitter despite its suspension.

A lawyer and human rights activist Inibehe Effiong, confirming the use of the VPN, posted that he would continue to tweet and disregard the unconstitutional suspension of the platform.

“Malami, the Chief Lawlessness Officer of the Federation is at it again. Madness upon madness. This is supposed to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Nigerians, ignore this infantile statement. It is brutum fulmen. Using VPN to bypass the illegal suspension of Twitter is not a crime.

“I, Inibehe Effiong, hereby state that I have been tweeting and will continue to tweet in clear defiance of the Buhari regime’s unconstitutional suspension of Twitter.

“AGF Malami should come and arrest me. No one has hacked my account. I’m tweeting intentionally,” Effiong posted.

Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Professor of Law Chidi Odinkalu, who tweets @ChidiOdinkalu, has also been using the platform after the government’s threat of prosecuting those accessing the platform through VPN.

Former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili also posted on Twitter after the ban, saying that she would be happy to be prosecuted by the AGF for exercising her fundamental human rights.

“How many fellow Nigerians presently on @Twitter are happy to be prosecuted by @NigeriaGov for exercising your constitutionally guaranteed right to speech and association? Please join me and joyfully raise your hands so @MalamiSan can find us quickly and take to court,” Ezekwesili posted.

A Nollywood actress Beverly Naya posted that she was using the VPN to access Twitter since the suspension took effect.

“Actually cannot believe I’m using my VPN  for Twitter, they’ve actually shut it down. No words! Livid,” Naya said.

A finance expert and tutor Bayo Adeyinka confessed that he had switched to Thunder VPN in order to access Twitter.

A popular social media user Wale Adetona, posting via @slimfit, also said since access to Twitter had been blocked through network providers and other internet providers, the only option was to use the VPN. He has continued to tweet since then.

“Access to Twitter using Spectranet and other ISPs blocked too! VPN or nothing now,” Adetona posted.

Like Adetona, many other Nigerians have continued to use the platform despite the Federal Government’s threat to prosecute VPN users.

In an effort to share information with others on the use of the platform with VPN, another user identified as Sanpedro, tweeting  @ChidozieModest, shared a post with other Nigerians on how to ensure they had access to Nigerian contents after changing their location to another country using the VPN.

“How to make sure you’re seeing Nigeria content from your Location on TWITTER, Step 1: go to Settings.  Step 2: Switch off ‘Show Content in your location’ Step 3: Explore and Pick Nigeria. With that we will still be together from Different VPN location,” SanPedro tweeted.

Many other Nigerians have also continued to use the platform after the suspension, most especially for calling for a nationwide protest against bad governance through the hashtag, #June12Protest.

Others are also calling for the government to reverse its action through the hashtag #KeepitOn, which has attracted foreign interests also.

Meanwhile, a civil society organisation Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) has said the Nigerian government cannot prosecute its citizens for using Twitter because there was no law  forbidding it.

“There is NO law in Nigeria today that would allow the prosecution of anyone simply for using Twitter in Nigeria. The constitutional right to no punishment without the law is absolute. This means that it cannot be restricted in any way,” SERAP posted.

 

Fulani herdsmen kill residents, burn houses in fresh attack on Oyo community

Niyi OYEDEJI
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0
Fulani herdsmen kill residents, burn houses in fresh attack on Oyo community

TRAGEDY, again, struck in Igangan community of Ibarapa in Oyo State at the early hours of Sunday morning when some Fulani herdsmen invaded the community.

No fewer than six corpses were seen in a viral video circulating on social media, which allegedly emanated from the tragic incident.

Secretary of Farmers’ Union in the town Taiwo Adeagbo, popularly known as Akowe Agbe, told The Punch Newspaper that the town came under serious attack around 12:39 am on Sunday.

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Igangan community had witnessed various Fulani attacks in the past few years, with many claiming several lives.

The ICIR had earlier investigated how residents of the agrarian community and other neighbouring communities had continued to live under fear of attack by the Fulani herdsmen, whose notorious leader Iskilu Wakili was arrested few months ago.

Residents said the herdsmen, who were many in their numbers, stormed the community and started razing down houses, trucks loaded with cassava flour and some cars before shooting some of the residents during the attack.

The ICIR reached out to the police public relations officer in the state Adewale Osifeso, who neither answered his call nor replied to the text message sent to him.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, in a swift reaction, urged  residents of the community to remain calm, adding that security operatives were now in control of the situation.

“I have received the shocking news of the attacks on residents of Igangan, Ibarapaland, in the early hours of this morning. I am currently being briefed on the incidents. I urge residents to remain calm as security operatives are now in control of the situation.”

 

 

Twitter ban: Global bodies may have given up on Nigeria’s democracy – Analysts

Harrison EDEH
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0
Twitter ban: Global bodies may have given up on Nigeria’s democracy – Analysts

Global bodies may have given up on Nigeria’s democracy owing to several disappointing moves made by the Federal Government, analysts say.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu banned the use of a micro-blogging platform, Twitter, on Friday, after his violent tweets against South-East Biafra agitators were deleted. The country has also suffered human rights violations, including abuses by armed groups, unlawful attacks and impunity, according to Amnesty International.

Foreign affairs analyst Majeed Dahiru told The ICIR that the Nigerian government was weakening tenets of liberal democracy with its actions and inactions.

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Buhari’s IPOB tweet was statement of fact, not threat -Garba Shehu

“We’ve seen the attempt to stifle voices in democratic tenets. During the #Endsars protest, we saw the actions of the Nigerian government on the protesters and the attempt to stifle their voices,” he said.

Ike Ibeabuchi, a business and policy strategist, explained that that global forces might have given up on Nigeria.

“It is possible that our actions and inactions have prompted countries to give up on us. We currently lag in every human right and corruption index. It is time we grew up and act as the real giant of Africa,” he said.

The ban on the use of Twitter in Africa’s most populous nation has re-echoed concerns about the government’s push for a Social Media Bill earlier discussed at the National Assembly in the country.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) said in a report  that the decision of the Nigeria’s government to suspend Twitter showed President Buhari had suspended Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution and was trying to gag the media. Many international bodies have criticised it, urging the government to learn the ideals of democracy, which free speech was a central part of.

An ambassador Ogbole Odey explained that social media was a new space and the government must find a way to relate to it.  Odey, however, noted that Nigeria must begin to do whatever worked for it and its citizens.

Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami had, on Saturday, said the government would prosecute Nigerians violating the ban on Twitter by the Federal Government.

But a lawyer Inibehe Effiong said the order was unconstitutional.
“Malami, the Chief Lawlessness Officer of the Federation is at it again. Madness upon madness. This is supposed to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Nigerians, ignore this infantile statement. It is brutum fulmen. Using VPN to bypass illegal suspension of Twitter is not a crime,” he said.
“I, Inibehe Effiong, hereby state that I have been tweeting and will continue to tweet in clear defiance of the Buhari regime’s unconstitutional suspension of Twitter,” he added.

Prophet TB Joshua dies at 57

Niyi OYEDEJI
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0
Prophet TB Joshua dies at 57

POPULAR Nigerian preacher, televangelist and founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN)  Temitope Balogun (T.B.) Joshua is dead.

The Synagogue church confirmed the death of its founder in a statement on Sunday.

The church stated that the pastor died just few days to his 58th birthday, noting that he spoke about his death on Saturday.

“On Saturday 5th June 2021, Prophet TB Joshua spoke during the Emmanuel TV Partners Meeting: “Time for everything – time to come here for prayer and time to return home after the service,”  the church said.

READ ALSO: Buhari’s former minister of women’s affairs is dead

The synagogue church also said the pastor spent his last moments on earth in the service of God.

Although the cause of his death is still unknown, the prophet was popular for his prophesies across Africa, Europe and America.

The church, however, added that the prophet left a legacy of service and sacrifice to God’s kingdom.

“The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations and Emmanuel TV Family appreciate your love, prayers and concern at this time and request a time of privacy for the family.”

The church said prophet TB Joshua’s last words were, “Watch and pray.”

Like Buhari, Twitter deletes Nnamdi Kanu’s violent statement

Vincent Ufuoma
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Like Buhari, Twitter deletes Nnamdi Kanu’s violent statement

TWITTER, on Saturday, deleted a violent statement by the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu for violating its rules.

The IPOB leader had vowed in a Twitter post on Wednesday to ensure that none of the Nigerian soldiers deployed to restore peace and normalcy to the South-East region of the country would not return alive.

“It’s not for the living to respond to the dead but given the lack of reasoning prevalent in the #Zoo Nigeria, I wish to assure @GarShehu (Garba Shehu), the Jihadi midget @elrufai (Nasir El-Rufai) & that Fulani lapdog Femi Adesina that any army they send to #Biafraland will die there. None will return alive,” he had said.

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Kanu, who is currently on the run and asylum in the United Kingdom, further stressed that he would not mind doing so at the expense of his people whom he had claimed several times he was fighting to liberate.

This is coming barely days after the platform pulled down a civil war statement of President Muhammadu Buhari threatening to brutally deal with those he perceived as destabilising his administration in the South-East region of the country.

“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,” Buhari had said and tweeted while condemning attacks on police stations, prisons and offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the region.

Buhari’s statement aroused a lot of angry reactions from many Nigerians on the micro-blogging site who accused him of insensitivity to a war that claimed millions of lives. They also accused the Buhari’s administration of planning to commit another genocide against the people of the region.

Twitter later deleted the statement for violating its rules after it was reported by Buhari’s critics.

In response, the Buhari-led Federal Government ordered the immediate and indefinite suspension of the platform in Nigeria without the due consideration of millions of Nigerians making use of the platform for personal and official purposes.

Fact Check: Did Bishop Kukah praise separatist leader, Kanu, as man of truth?

Although the Presidency released a statement on Saturday to describe the ban as temporary, the diplomatic communities have condemned the action and also decried the move by the Buhari’s administration to gag free speech which, according them, is associated with democratic governance.

Twitter ban: Diplomatic missions of EU, US, UK, others jointly express disappointment in Nigerian govt

Niyi OYEDEJI
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0
Twitter ban: Diplomatic missions of EU, US, UK, others jointly express disappointment in Nigerian govt

THE diplomatic missions of Canada, the European Union (Delegation to Nigeria), the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States have jointly expressed disappointment over the Nigerian government’s suspension of Twitter and for proposing registration requirements for other social media platforms.

The diplomatic missions, in a statement jointly released on Saturday, said banning the systems of expression was not in any way the answer.

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“We strongly support the fundamental human right of free expression and access to information as a pillar of democracy in Nigeria as around the world and these rights apply online as well as offline.”

Buhari had, on Friday, announced the suspension of Twitter, saying the platform was persistently used for activities that could undermine the corporate existence of Nigeria.

But the diplomatic missions noted that the move was coming at a critical time when Nigeria needed to accommodate more communication to address a host of challenges facing it as a nation.

“These measures inhibit access to information and commerce at precisely the moment when Nigeria needs to foster inclusive dialogue and expression of opinions, as well as share vital information in this time of the COVID-19 pandemic,”   they said.

The diplomatic missions, however, pledged to continually support Nigeria in achieving unity, peace and prosperity.

“The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less, communication to accompany the concerted efforts of Nigeria’s citizens in fulsome dialogue toward unity, peace and prosperity. As Nigeria’s partners, we stand ready to assist in achieving these goals.”

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