Nigeria has given the authorities the idea of ​​eliminating “patriotic” Twitter from Business and Economic News

Abuja directs radio and television to gather information not to use Twitter and tells them to deactivate accounts.

Nigerian television and radio stations should not use Twitter to gather information and should deactivate their accounts, the broadcasting authority said a few days after Abuja. he canceled the social media giant In a West African country.

The National Broadcasting Commission, in a statement released Monday, told broadcasters to “immediately terminate Twitter’s patronage.”

“Broadcast stations are advised to uninstall Twitter handles and stop using Twitter as a source of information gathering,” the statement said, adding that “strict compliance is required”.

“It would be patriotic for any Nigerian broadcaster to continue to support Twitter as its source of information.”

The Nigerian government said it suspended Twitter activities on Friday, two days after the platform has removed a tweet President Muhammadu Buhari threatened to punish secessionists. Nigerian telecom companies have blocked access to Twitter.

The presidency denied that the suspension of Twitter was a response to the removal of that message.

“There have been many problems on the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and false news spread through it have had real violent consequences,” presidential spokeswoman Garba Shehu said in a statement.

Shehu said Buhari’s removal of the tweet is “disappointing” and that “major technology companies must survive their responsibilities.”

He said the suspension of Twitter is “very worrying” and will work to regain access to the platform-based Nigeria to communicate with the world and connect with the world.

More than 39 million Nigerians have a Twitter account, according to NOI polls, they are a public opinion and research organization.

Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama called for diplomacy to meet on Monday in the capital Abuja after a joint statement by the European Union and several countries to express concerns about the ban on Twitter.

“Banning expression systems is not the answer,” the EU, the US, Britain, Canada and Ireland said on Saturday.

The document added that “in fact, it has been a time for Nigeria to encourage inclusive dialogue and expression of views, as well as to share vital information at this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

International human rights groups have also condemned the move, following previous attempts by the government to regulate social media.

The “VPN app” was the second most searched trend on Saturday by Google in Nigeria, as virtual private networks could allow Twitter users to avoid the ban.

Nigeria warned, however, that it would prosecute the violators.

“Federation Attorney General and Justice Minister Abubakar Malami has directed the federal government to immediately prosecute violators of the ban on Twitter operations in Nigeria,” said spokesman Umar Jibrilu Gwandu.

The platform has played a major role in the country’s public discourse, with #BringBackOurGirls trailing after Boko Haram kidnapped 276 school girls in 2014, and #EndSARS last year in brutal protests against police.