The suspension of Twitter in Nigeria in 2021, widely linked to a deleted tweet by the late President Muhammadu Buhari, was, according to former Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, part of broader government concerns over national security and social media misuse.
Mohammed made the clarification on Wednesday in Abuja during the launch of his new book, ‘Headlines & Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined an Administration’, in which he stressed that the timing of Twitter’s deletion of Buhari’s tweet in June 2021 created a misleading impression about the reasons behind the ban.
“While Twitter claimed it removed the President’s tweet under its ‘abusive behaviour’ policy, the platform had consistently left far more inflammatory posts online despite formal protests”, Mohammed said.
He cited a tweet by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra, describing it as violent and inciting, yet left unchecked by the platform.
Mohammed also pointed to the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, saying unverified content on Twitter escalated tensions and contributed to violence. “During the #EndSARS protests, fake news and disinformation spread rapidly. Images and videos were amplified, inflaming passions and turning a peaceful protest into widespread unrest”, he explained.
He added that the decision to suspend Twitter followed careful deliberation and received explicit approval from President Buhari. “When I approached the President, he asked: Are you suspending Twitter because it deleted my post? I said no. Do you have the capacity to block the platform? I said yes. He then gave his approval”, Mohammed recalled.
The former minister emphasized that the government had long warned social media companies against hosting content that promotes fake news, hate speech, and disinformation, highlighting the need for platforms to uphold national unity and security.
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