Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered Lai Mohammed, former Minister of Information and Culture to disclose the details of the agreement between the Federal Government and X, formerly Twitter.
Gatekeepers News reports that the court ruled that the Government must provide a copy of the agreement to the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a non-governmental organisation that filed a Freedom of Information suit against the Government.
Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba delivered the judgment on May 28, 2024, stating that “the disclosure of the Twitter agreement is not prejudicial to Nigeria’s sovereignty and national security or protected by the Official Secrets Act.”
He also noted that “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.”
In reaction, Femi Falana, SAN, commended the judgment, stating that “this is a judicial confirmation of Nigerians’ rights to freedom of expression and access to information online.”
Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP’s deputy director, also welcomed the judgment, saying that “this ground-breaking judgment is a victory for freedom of expression and privacy online, which is central to achieving individual freedom and developing democracy.”
The Nigerian government has been ordered to immediately disclose the details of the agreement with Twitter, and SERAP has urged President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate his commitment to the rule of law by obeying and respecting the judgment.
