Twitter ban: FG asks ECOWAS Court to dismiss SERAP’s suit, as rights group insists on ruling
Economic Community of West African states (ECOWAS) Court of Justice in Abuja has deferred ruling on a suit filed by rights group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Federal Government challenging the latter’s decision to ban Twitter operations in the country.
The court has now fixed February 16 as date to rule on the suit.
The adjournment follows an application filed by the Federal Government praying the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the ban on Twitter has already been lifted.
The ECOWAS Court had earlier fixed January 31 for the ruling.
SERAP confirmed Federal Government’s application, Thursday, via its verified Twitter handle, saying the government had argued that the suit was no longer necessary, considering the fact that the ban on Twitter had been lifted.
However, the rights group insists it would file a response for the court to dismiss the application by the Federal Government ahead of the earlier scheduled hearing on Monday.
“The Buhari administration has just filed an application asking the ECOWAS court to strike out our suit on Twitter ban, saying that the ban has been lifted.
“The suit is fixed 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 [since the ban has been lifted]. The court of law does not engage in academic exercise.
“The determination of the suit by the Court will amount to an exercise in futility and devoid of purpose. It will be merely academic and theoretical as the subject-matter of the suit–suspension of Twitter is no more in existence,” SERAP’s tweet read.
SERAP, along with other rights and civil society groups in the country, had last June 2021, dragged the Federal Government before the ECOWAS Court over the suspension of Twitter in the country.
In the suit No ECW/CCJ/APP/23/21 filed before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, SERAP and the concerned Nigerians had sought an order of interim injunction restraining the Federal Government from implementing its suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.