The ECOWAS Court ruled that the federal government’s order to ban Twitter in June 2021 was illegal and violated Nigerians’ rights.

The court ruled on Thursday that the Federal government’s actions were illegal and violated Article 9 of the African Charter and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Remember that on June 5, 2021, the Nigerian government banned Twitter after the platform deleted President Buhari’s tweets.

The ruling of the court
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 176 concerned Nigerians filed the suit.

The court declared that it has jurisdiction to hear the case in its decision on Thursday.

“The Buhari administration’s suspension of Twitter operations violates the rights of SERAP and 176 concerned Nigerians to free expression, access to information and the media, and the right to a fair hearing,” the court ruled.

The court ordered the current administration to ensure that the illegal Twitter ban does not happen again.

The court ordered the FG to develop policies that protect Nigerians’ rights and freedoms.

The ECOWAS Court directed the deputy chief registrar to estimate the costs of the proceeding and ordered the Federal Government to pay them.