Telecom
Twitter Ban: Courts Orders SERAP to Pay N100k Fine over Dismissal Suit against NBC
A federal high court in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) challenging the ban on the use of Twitter.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Obiora Egwuatu further held that the ban on twitter in Nigeria did not in anyway violate the constitutionally guaranteed press freedom
The judge dismissed the suit for lacking merit and awarded N100,000 cost in favour of the defendants.
On June 5, the federal government suspended the operations of the microblogging and social networking service in Nigeria.
According to Lai Mohammed, minister of information, “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence”.
Consequently, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) directed broadcast stations in the country to stop using Twitter.
SERAP had, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/496/21, sued the NBC, its director-general and the minister of information and culture for issuing the directive.
The group had sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the federal government and the regulators from “censoring, regulating, licensing and controlling the social media operations and contents by broadcast stations and activities of social media service providers in Nigeria”.
It also sought an order setting aside the directive asking broadcast stations to stop using Twitter, as being “unconstitutional, unlawful, inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended], and the country’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights”.
In their preliminary objections, the first and second defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit.
They argued that the directive did not in any way affect the plaintiff, adding that the action was taken in the interest of the country’s national security, economy and unity.
In addition, the minister of information, through Nelson Orji, his lawyer, said the federal government operates within the bounds of the law and will not do anything to undermine it.
He claimed that the operations of Twitter, an American microblogging and social media company, in Nigeria’s cyberspace necessitated compliance with the law.
He also told the court that the company has not been registered in Nigeria as required by law.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, Egwuatu, the presiding judge, held that the fundamental rights of the plaintiff had not been breached because the freedom of expression provided for under section 39 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) is not absolute.
He stated that the section is limited under section 45(1) which deals with the issues of defence, public safety, public health, and public morality.
The judge ruled that because the media outlets that SERAP sued did not object to the ban, the plaintiff could not “weep more than the grieving”.
He also agreed with the defendants that the plaintiff might use other microblogging platforms such as Facebook.
Egwuatu said when national security is threatened, the issues of fundamental human rights take second stage.
He also agreed that Twitter is not a registered company in the country as required by the law.
With the introduction of Travel Saga, a premium, fast-paced gaming experience that is currently live and accessible to customers on its network, Globacom has lifted the bar for mobile entertainment in the country.
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SHELT, a leading cybersecurity-as-a-service provider, has earned inclusion in the 2025 MSSP 250, the annual ranking of the world’s top 250 Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) by MSSP Alert, a CyberRisk Alliance publication.
SHELT
The list evaluates firms on business performance, service breadth, and industry impact, spotlighting those excelling in growth, operational excellence, and advanced managed security amid rising cyber threats. Selection criteria include annual recurring revenue, profitability, workforce expansion, business growth, and the depth of managed security offerings.
SHELT’s recognition underscores its investments in scalable security operations, threat intelligence, and tailored managed services across multiple regions, enabling clients to navigate complex risk landscapes effectively.
“Being recognised in the MSSP 250 is a meaningful milestone for our team,” stated Youssef Abillama, CEO of SHELT. “It validates our focus on building practical, resilient security services that help organisations manage risk and respond effectively to today’s evolving cyber threats.”
The company hailed the honour as testament to its teams’ dedication and expertise worldwide, reaffirming commitment to enhancing capabilities and delivering trusted cybersecurity solutions.
Meta Platforms, owner of Facebook, has appointed Dina Powell McCormick, a former adviser to President Donald Trump, as its new president and vice chairman, bolstering its leadership amid aggressive AI and infrastructure expansion.
Dina Powell McCormick
The announcement, made on Monday, positions Powell McCormick – who recently stepped down from Meta’s board after eight months – to guide overall strategy, including multi-billion-dollar investments in data centres and global partnerships.
A Goldman Sachs veteran with 16 years in senior roles and prior stints as deputy national security adviser under Trump and in the Bush administration, she brings deep finance and international ties to the role.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg hailed her as “uniquely qualified” for the company’s next growth phase, while President Trump praised the move on Truth Social as a “fantastic choice”.
The hire signals Meta’s efforts to strengthen White House relations, following recent dinners with Trump and U.S. investment pledges worth hundreds of billions
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