Buhari’s Govt Orders Shutdown Of Several Online Newspapers, Blogs

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has ordered the immediate shutdown of online newspapers and blogs it perceives as “threat to national security”.

This was according to a report by Sunday Tribune, which also revealed that the Federal Government may not spare Social Media and Internet users in the crackdown believed to be deliberate attempt to gag the press.

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The report indicates that over 21 domain names have so far been penned down for deletion by Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

The NSA’s Office, in a memo dated October 20, 2017, and titled “Re: Request to Prevent the Commission of an Offence under Section 146 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003,” was reminding a private firm engaged by the NCC to hasten the crackdown.

The memo was signed by NCC’s Head, Legal and Regulatory Services, Yetunde Akinloye, while an official of the agency co-signed on behalf of Engineer Haru Alhassan, who is the Director, New Media and Information Security.

The Federal Government contracted the firm “to restrict access to several identified websites threatening national security as identified by the Office of the National Security Adviser”.

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Part of the memo asked the said firm to “…immediately take steps to restrict access within the Nigerian cyberspace in respect of 21 (twenty one) additional websites by blocking the domain names. (The list of websites is attached)”.

Section 146 (1) of the NCC Act 2003 states: “A licensee shall use his best endeavour to prevent the network facilities that he owns or provides or the network service, applications service or content application service that he provides from being used in, or in relation to, the commission of any offence under any law in operation in Nigeria.

“(2): A licensee shall, upon written request by the Commission or any other authority, assist the Commission or other authority as far as reasonably necessary in preventing the commission or attempted commission of an offence under any written law in operation in Nigeria or otherwise in enforcing the laws of Nigeria, including the protection of the public revenue and preservation of national security.

“(3): Any licensee, shall not be liable in any criminal proceedings of any nature for any damage (including punitive damages), loss, cost or expenditure suffered or to be suffered (whether directly or indirectly) for any act or omission done in good faith in the performance of the duty imposed under subsections (1) and (2).”

When asked regarding the alleged plans, the Minister of Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, said:

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“I am sure NCC will never ever write such a memo. I am sure it never happened.

“President Muhammadu Buhari or any of the people working for him will never do or encourage anything that will amount to gagging of the press,” said Shittu.

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