Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has reiterated that the Federal Government’s decision to suspend Twitter (now X) in 2021 was driven by national security concerns and the platform’s alleged “reckless” behavior, not by an intention to stifle free speech.
Mohammed made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television, ahead of the launch of his new book, Headlines and Soundbites: Media Moments that Defined an Administration. The book provides an insider’s perspective on key communication decisions made under former President Muhammadu Buhari, including the controversial Twitter ban.
According to the former minister, the government’s engagement with social media companies over misinformation began long before the suspension. He recalled initiating a campaign against fake news and disinformation as far back as 2017.
“I started the campaign against fake news and disinformation in 2017 because I realized the dangerous turn it was taking. An unregulated social media space had become a threat to national stability,” Mohammed said.
He explained that Twitter had been repeatedly warned before its suspension but continued to provide a platform for individuals and groups promoting hatred and division. “When we suspended Twitter, it was because the platform had become reckless. We cautioned them several times. Social media had reached a point where it was endangering everyone,” he added.
Mohammed dismissed claims that the ban was a reaction to Twitter’s deletion of a post by President Buhari or an attempt to suppress opposition voices. He said the move followed extensive consultations and assessments of potential risks.
“The President asked me just one question — whether a country should take such action — and I said yes, based on our findings and discussions,” he stated.
He further noted that at the time of the suspension, Twitter had not registered to operate in Nigeria. The later agreement signed with the government, he argued, validated the Federal Government’s stance. “Twitter was not registered in Nigeria when it was suspended. The agreement they eventually signed with us, as documented in my book, shows we did the right thing,” he said.
The former minister contrasted social media with traditional media, emphasizing that while the latter has editorial oversight, social platforms allow unchecked content capable of inciting violence. “Freedom must not be exercised in a way that pits one part of the country against another. We saw how social media was used to mobilize attacks during court sessions for IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu,” Mohammed noted.
He added that Twitter’s operations were only restored after the company agreed to meet government conditions, including local registration and compliance with Nigerian laws.
Mohammed said his book aims to preserve history from the perspective of someone directly involved in government decision-making. “This is about documenting history from an insider’s viewpoint — how decisions were reached, how misinformation often overshadowed facts, and how media narratives shaped public perception,” he concluded.
