By Sunday Ejike
The ECOWAS Court of Justice sitting in Abuja on Tuesday restrained the Federal Government and its agents from prosecuting or doing anything whatsoever to harass, intimidate or arrest people for using Twitter.
The court, in its ruling delivered after hearing arguments from Femi Falana (SAN), representing SERAP and counsel to the Federal Government, Maimuna Shiru said, “any interference with Twitter is viewed as inference with human rights and that will violate human rights.”
The court, which assumed jurisdiction to hear and determine the case further ordered that the suit, as filed by SERAP be heard expeditiously and that the Federal Government must take immediate steps to implement the order, which restrained it from prosecuting or harassing Twitter users.
Tribune Online reports that SERAP instituted the legal action after the suspension of Twitter by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed after the social media giant was banned in Nigeria for deleting President Buhari’s tweet.
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) also ordered television and radio stations to suspend patronizing Twitter and to delete unpatriotic Twitter.
The ECOWAS Court adjourned the hearing of the substantive suit till July 6, 2021
It would be recalled that SERAP and the concerned Nigerians had in the suit No: ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 prayed for, “an order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria and subjecting anyone, including media houses, broadcast stations using Twitter in Nigeria to harassment, intimidation, arrest and criminal prosecution, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
The plaintiffs said if their application is not urgently granted…
