The Nigerian Information and Culture Ministry on Friday announced that Twitter would be halted indefinitely in the country, two days after the company removed a tweet by Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, citing a violation of its abusive behaviour policy.
"The announcement made by the Nigerian Government that they have suspended Twitter's operations in Nigeria is deeply concerning", a Twitter spokesperson was quoted as saying by the news outlet late on Friday.
© REUTERS / Siphiwe SibekoNigerian President Muhammadu Buhari speaks during a news conference after a meeting with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, in Pretoria, South Africa, October 3, 2019
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari speaks during a news conference after a meeting with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa, in Pretoria, South Africa, October 3, 2019
© REUTERS / Siphiwe Sibeko
The suspension comes after Buhari's tweet about a secessionist movement was flagged as offensive by users. Nigerian Minister of Information Lai Mohammed has since slammed the social media giant for being biased against Buhari and added that Twitter's activities in Nigeria were suspicious.