Court Orders Lai Mohammed To Provide Details Of Agreement Reached With X After 2021 Ban

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the former minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to disclose details of the agreement between the Nigerian Government and X, formerly Twitter.

This aims to assess whether the agreement complies with the exercise of Nigerians’ human rights online.

Naija News understands that the judgment was delivered in May 2024 by Hon. Justice Nnamdi Okwy Dimgba following a Freedom of Information suit number: FHC/L/CS/238/2022, brought by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).

The certified true copy of the judgment was obtained last Friday.

In the judgement, the court ordered Mohammed and the Ministry of Information to provide a copy of the agreement between the Nigerian Government and Twitter to SERAP to ascertain its impact on the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.

Dimgba stated that providing the agreement does not in any way affect Twitter’s business interest as a third party.

The judgement read in part, “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 interest as a third party. It is also not prejudicial to Nigeria’s sovereignty and national security.

“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.