Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to reveal the details of the agreement between the Federal Government and X, formerly known as Twitter. This judgement, delivered in May 2024, is being hailed as a landmark verdict following a Freedom of Information suit brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
What They Are saying
The certified true copy of the judgment was obtained last Friday, prompting widespread discussion.
Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s Deputy Director, announced on Sunday that the court’s order aims to determine whether the agreement respects Nigerians’ human rights online.
Justice Dimgba’s ruling dismisses the minister’s objections and sides with SERAP. The court directed the Ministry of Information to hand over the agreement, emphasizing that public interest outweighs any potential harm to Twitter’s business interests or Nigeria’s national security.
Justice Dimgba declared, “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.”
Why It Matters
The backdrop to this lawsuit traces back to January 13, 2022, when the Nigerian Government lifted the suspension of Twitter, claiming the platform agreed to respect Nigerian laws and culture. This suspension initially took effect on June 4, 2021, after Twitter removed a post by former President Muhammadu Buhari. Despite the former president being a co-respondent in the case, the court’s orders specifically targeted the minister.
Bottom Line
This ruling sets a significant precedent for transparency and accountability, underscoring the importance of public access to information that impacts fundamental human rights. The Nigerian Government now faces the challenge of balancing national interests with the public’s right to know.
