June 5 (UPI) — The Nigerian government on Friday “suspended, indefinitely” Twitter’s operations in the country after the U.S.-based social media company deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the minister of Information and Culture, cited “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence” as the reason for the site’s shuttering.
The statement didn’t mention Twitter’s decision Wednesday to delete Buhari’s tweet, which CNN reported threatened people from the southeast, whom he accused of attacks on public infrastructure. The platform deemed the tweet offensive and said it violated company rules.
“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War,” Buhari tweeted Tuesday.
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”
Mohammed previously criticized Twitter’s decision to remove Buhari’s tweet, accusing the company of using “double standards,” BBC News reported.
