In the wake of an application by the Nigerian government, the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Abuja has actually adjourned judgment for a suit set up by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on the Twitter ban to February 16, 2022.

The suit was earlier fixed for Monday January 31, 2022 but had now been rescheduled for a later date.

The President Muhammadu Buhari administration had actually submitted an application asking the ECOWAS court to strike out SERAP’s suit.

SERAP validated the application on Thursday, stating the federal government had argued that the fit was no longer necessary, considering the reality that the ban on Twitter had actually been raised.

However, the civic group stated it would file an action for the court to dismiss the application by the Nigerian government as the hearing comes up next Monday.

The tweet checks out, “The Buhari administration has just filed an application asking the ECOWAS court to start out our match on Twitter restriction, saying that the ban has actually been lifted.

“The fit is repaired for judgment on Monday. We’re filing a response ASAP for the court to dismiss the application.

“The Federal government is arguing among others that, “the judgment will constitute no practical utilitarian value to SERAP and others [given that the ban has been raised] The law court does not participate in scholastic workout.”

“The determination of the match by the Court will total up to an exercise in futility and without function. It will be simply academic and theoretical as the subject-matter of the match– suspension of Twitter is no more out there.”

Recall that in June 2021, SERAP and 176 worried Nigerians filed a suit against the Federal Government over the suspension of Twitter in the nation.

In the suit filed prior to the ECOWAS Court, SERAP was represented by human rights attorney and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, as well as Oluwadare Kolawole and Opeyemi Owolabi.

SERAP was the candidate while the Federal Republic of Nigeria was the respondent. The case was heard before Justice Gberi-Be Ouattara, Justice Keikura Bangura, and Justice Januaria Moreira Costa.

The group filed the claim against the Nigerian government over, “the unlawful suspension of Twitter in Nigeria, criminalisation of Nigerians and other individuals using Twitter, and the intensifying repression of human rights, especially the rights to flexibility of expression, access to details, and media flexibility in the nation.”

Following the deletion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, revealed the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

In the match No ECW/CCJ/APP/ 23/21 filed before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, SERAP and the concerned Nigerians are seeking an order of interim injunction limiting the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

ToriNG