Twitter ban: FG summons US, UK envoys, others over comments

The Federal Government has summoned the envoys of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union in Nigeria over their comments on its decision to suspend Twitter in the country.

This was contained in an invitation to pressmen issued on Monday morning by Kimiebi Ebienfa of the Crisis Monitoring and Public Communications Division of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Punch reports.

“I am directed to inform that following the recent ban on Twitter by the Federal Government and Press Statement issued by some Heads of Diplomatic Missions Accredited to Nigeria on the subject matter, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency, Geoffrey Onyeama has invited the affected Ambassadors to a meeting today at 12 noon.

“The venue is Minister’s Conference Room, 8th Floor.

“You are here invited to cover the Meeting. Thanks for your usual cooperation,” the invite read.

In a joint statement on Saturday, Canada, EU, UK, US, and the Republic of Ireland said banning systems of expression is not the way forward.

Twitter had deleted a controversial civil war post by the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari

Consequently, the Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension of Twitter, citing the “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.