Lagos, Nigeria – Solomon Elusoji, a Lagos journalist, was relieved earlier Thursday after finding Twitter for the first time in seven months.
“Sounds like freedom,” Elusoji told Al Jazeera. “As a journalist, I use Twitter a lot to keep up with what is going on in Nigeria, so the last few months have been very difficult. try. That is why it was so good to have the opportunity to be found on the site again. ”
Nigerian government late Wednesday he said lifts its ban on the operation of a radio giant in the country after Twitter approved the event, including the opening of a local office.
According to the government, these measures also include dealing with jobs and tax issues as well as “regulating banned publications in accordance with Nigerian law”.
In June 2021, the Nigerian authorities did he announced Twitter’s permanent suspension in the country, criticizing a US company for allowing its platform to be used “for things that could disrupt the life of Nigerian corporations”.
Ensuring that those who violate our rights do not repeat them. #TwitterBan pic.twitter.com/Xy765Q6NNj
– Rinu Oduala 🔥🔫 (@SavvyRinu) January 12, 2022
The suspension came two days after Twitter temporarily suspended President Muhammadu Buhari’s case for violating Twitter’s violent rules following a tweet threatening to punish separatists for terrorist attacks.
Angry and shocked, many Twitter users at the time cited popular protests against police brutality, which saw teenagers gathering via television under the #EndSARS hashtag, as one of the reasons behind the migration.
This suspension caused many to turn to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to gain access to the Internet. Despite the widespread use of VPNs, however, experts said the ban sent a false signal to foreign investors and destroying small businesses using Twitter as a financial source.
#EndSARS is moving again
Following the government’s announcement, Twitter Public Policy on Thursday said it was “delighted” that the project had been “restored to everyone in Nigeria”.
We are happy that Twitter has been restored to everyone in Nigeria. Our mission in Nigeria and around the world, is to serve in public discussions.
We are very committed to Nigeria, where Twitter is used by people for business, culture, and participation in development.– Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) January 13, 2022
The Amnesty International branch in Nigeria welcomed the lifting of the ban and called on Nigerian government officials to “end any practice that violates the right to freedom of expression, information, and freedom of the press.”
On the promotion of #TwitterBan pic.twitter.com/F2CLDQ3xGF
– Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) January 12, 2022
Users of the TV show also disrupted Twitter, following the removal of suspensions using hashtags such as #TwitterisBack and #TwitterBan. The #EndSARS hashtag has started again, too.
Famous actor and Nollywood actor Frank Donga volunteered helping small businesses recover lost money.
My heart and tweet go to small businesses that have lost money and opportunities during #TwitterBan. You can find ways to make it heal faster. I will try to help with free ads. 🙏🏻😎
– Frank Donga ™ (@frankdonga_) January 12, 2022
Lagos lawyer Ridwan Olayemi, meanwhile, woke up anxiety about telecommunications companies that “put their business interests ahead of Nigerian civil rights” during the ban.
Ikemesit Effiong, head of research at SBM Intelligence, a political analyst in Lagos, told Al Jazeera that the government’s decision was based on the 2023 election.
“Just a year before the election, the current ruling party, which has risen to prominence in the world after a successful social media campaign, recognizes the importance of Twitter as a public place, and more importantly, attracting public attention. That is why the Twitter ban should be monitored, “Ikemesit said.
Choice https://t.co/sBnOdp2t2J
– 🎙️jαmαldeenVoice (@Jamaldeenvoice) January 12, 2022
Here’s how some Twitter users responded to the ban:
people who left after him #TwitterBan requesting “forgotten password” pic.twitter.com/j0FRp3129y
– Ralph 😈 (@ralphdeyforyou) January 13, 2022
The only goal behind Buhari, Lai Muhammed, Malami & other evil guys is raising #TwitterBan and allowed their boys to run a hobby (Tinubu & co) on the program they banned… We decided not to forget #EndSars, EFCC, NDLEA and others… .so, we #Continue pic.twitter.com/GncC9IBvda
– Communicator 🏑 (@___communicator) January 12, 2022
FG promotion #TwitterBan
Nigerians using VPN coming back from Canada, Australia, London, France, Turkey etc 😭🤣 pic.twitter.com/znyJL4oopA– 𝑬𝒅𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆 (@Moe_mrmoe) January 12, 2022
#Endsars : When it comes to your TL, retweet to your Nigerian friends.🇳🇬✊
– sophia (@ 90sSophie) January 13, 2022
Hello Twitter … it’s too late #twitterisback
– Bilkisu Yero 👸👑 (@arewa_queen) January 12, 2022
