FG: Malami to Decide on Prosecution of Adeboye, Kumuyi, Others over Twitter Use

By Olawale Ajimotokan

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday disclosed that the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), will decide whether or not to prosecute the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye; the Founder and General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry Worldwide, Pastor William Kumuyi; as well as other violators of the Twitter suspension.

The information minister revealed this known on Monday evening during an interview with BBC News Africa.

This is coming as over 25 civil society organisations in Nigeria, yesterday condemned the gederal government’s suspension of Twitter, saying the measure is unconstitutional.

Adeboye had in a tweet on Monday, said his church is present in over 170 countries, adding that tweeting is in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Kumuyi had also tweeted that his church has branches across over 100 countries and five continents, stressing that it can tweet from anywhere in the world.

When the information minister was confronted with the actions of Adeboye and Kumuyi, which violated the suspension order, Mohammed said: “The Attorney-General has made it clear that if anybody violates the regulation that such a person will be prosecuted and this is not about any particular person. It is in the realm of the Attorney-General to decide who or who not to prosecute.”

Reacting to the widespread criticisms that greeted the suspension, including the condemnations by the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and Canada for its infringement on the fundamental human rights of Nigerians, Mohammed said there would be no human rights if the country goes on fire.

“It is because there is a country called Nigeria that they have rights at all. If the country goes on fire, and there is insecurity everywhere, then, there will be no rights for anybody,” he said.

When reminded that there is already insecurity in Nigeria, the minister said, “Of course, there is.

“Are we supposed to use Twitter to increase insecurity?” Mohammed asked.

The minister alleged that those he described as agents of destruction have chosen Twitter as a platform to destabilise the corporate existence of Nigeria.