The Presidency, has clarified that the President Muhammadu Buhari Federal Government did not ban Twitter’s operation in Nigeria, solely because it deleted the “Civil War” tweet by the President, Page 36 learnt.
A statement by a Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, on Saturday, revealed that Twitter has long been accused of spreading “misinformation and fake news”, which can have “real world violent consequences”.
The statement reads: “The temporary suspension of Twitter is not just a response to the removal of the President’s post.
“There has been a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences. All the while, the company has escaped accountability.
“Major tech companies must be alive to their responsibilities. They cannot be allowed to continue to facilitate the spread of religious, racist, xenophobic, and false messages capable of inciting whole communities against each other, leading to loss of many lives. This could tear some countries apart.
“The tweet was not a threat, but a statement of fact.
“A terrorist organisation (IPOB) poses a significant threat to the safety and security of Nigerian citizens.
“When the President said that they will be treated ‘in a language they understand’, he merely reiterated that their force shall be met with force. It is a basic principle of security services response world over.
“This is not promotion of hate, but a pledge to uphold citizens’ right to freedom from harm. The government cannot be expected to capitulate to terrorists.
“IPOB is proscribed under Nigerian law. Its members murder innocent Nigerians. They kill policemen and set government property on fire. Now, they have amassed a substantial stockpile of weapons and bombs across the country.
“Twitter does not seem to appreciate the national trauma of our country’s civil war. This government shall not allow a recurrence of that tragedy.”
