Lagos– The Federal High Court in Lagos has directed Nigeria’s Ministry of Information and former Minister Lai Mohammed to reveal the details of the agreement made with Twitter after the 2021 ban on the platform.
The judgment, delivered in May 2024 by Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba, followed a Freedom of Information suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). The case, referenced as FHC/L/CS/238/2022, aimed to determine whether the agreement respected Nigerians’ online human rights.
Justice Dimgba ruled that the Ministry of Information must provide SERAP with a copy of the agreement. He emphasized that revealing the agreement is in the public interest and does not compromise Twitter’s business interests or Nigeria’s national security. The court dismissed objections from the minister’s counsel and supported SERAP’s stance.
“The former minister and the Ministry of Information are directed and compelled to provide a copy of the agreement between the Nigerian Government and Twitter to SERAP solely to ascertain its impact on the protection of fundamental human rights of Nigerians,” Justice Dimgba stated.
The judgment clarified that disclosing the agreement would not harm Twitter’s business interests or interfere with Nigeria’s sovereignty. It noted that no evidence suggested Twitter had similar agreements with other countries as a condition for operation.
Reacting to the judgment, Femi Falana (SAN) praised the ruling as a significant step for freedom of expression and online privacy in Nigeria. SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged President Bola Tinubu to comply with the court’s orders, emphasizing the importance of the judgment for democracy and individual freedom.
SERAP’s call for compliance came in a letter dated July 13, 2024, urging the President to direct the Ministry of Information and the Attorney General’s office to disclose the Twitter agreement details.
The legal battle began after the Nigerian Government suspended Twitter on June 4, 2021, following the removal of a post by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The suspension was lifted in January 2022 after Twitter agreed to adhere to Nigerian laws and respect the national culture.
