Former Minister of Culture and Information Lai Mohammed has been directed by Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba of the Federal High Court (FHC) in Lagos to reveal the specifics of the contract between the Federal Government and X, previously Twitter.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) filed a Freedom of Information lawsuit, and in May 2024, the judge handed down what is regarded as a historic decision. I received the judgment’s certified genuine copy on Friday.
In a statement released on Sunday, Deputy Director of SERAP Kolawole Oluwadare said that the order was to determine whether the agreement complies with Nigerians’ online exercise of their human rights.
The former minister and the Ministry of Information are directed and compelled to provide a copy of the agreement between the Nigerian Government and Twitter to SERAP solely to ascertain its impact on the protection of fundamental human rights of Nigerians.”
“Disclosing the details of the agreement between the Nigerian Government and Twitter is in the public interest and does not affect Twitter’s business interests as a third party. It is also not prejudicial to Nigeria’s sovereignty and national security,” Justice Dimgba held.
“The agreement between the Nigerian Government and Twitter must still be disclosed, irrespective of the harm to Twitter, if it would be in the public interest to make sure disclosure.
Justice Dimgba dismissed the objections raised by the minister’s counsel and upheld SERAP’s arguments. Consequently, the court entered judgment in favour of SERAP against the minister.
Justice Dimgba further said, “The minister has failed to prove that the President has followed due process of law to designate Twitter as a critical national information infrastructure upon the National Security Adviser’s recommendation and issued an order in the Federal Gazette in that regard.
“Therefore, I hold that the disclosure of the Twitter agreement is not prejudicial to Nigeria’s sovereignty and national security or protected by the Official Secrets Act, as the minister has failed to prove the same.”
The suit filed against the former minister of information and culture followed the Nigerian government’s statement on January 13, 2022, after lifting the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria, to the effect that, “Twitter has agreed to act with a respectful acknowledgment of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history.”
The Nigerian government suspended Twitter on June 4, 2021, after it removed a post from former president Muhammadu Buhari. The former president was joined in the suit as a co-respondent, but the court gave orders against the minister.
