The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, says Twitter and its founder, Jack Dorsey, are liable for the losses the country suffered during the EndSARS protest.
The minister stated this when he featured on a Radio Nigeria call-in programme, “Politics Nationwide’’ on Tuesday.
Mr Mohammed alleged that the twitter founder raised funds through Bitcoins to sponsor the EndSARS protest while his platform, Twitter, was used to fuel the crisis.
He explained that the allegations he made earlier were not taken seriously by Nigerians until an online media outfit carried out an investigation.
According to the minister, the online publication confirmed that Mr Dorsey retweeted some posts by some of the coalition’s supporting the EndSARS protest.
He said it was also confirmed that the Twitter founder launched a fundraising asking people to donate via Bitcoins.
Mr Mohammed stated that Mr Dorsey launched an Emoji to make the protest visible on the microblogging site.
He added that the Twitter boss also retweeted some foreign and local supporters of EndSARS.
The minister said: “If you ask people to donate money via bitcoins for EndSARS protesters then you are vicariously liable for whatever is the outcome of the protest.
“We have forgotten that EndSARS led to the loss of lives, including 37 policemen, six soldiers, 57 civilians while property worth billions of naira were destroyed.
“164 police vehicles and 134 police stations were razed to the ground, 265 private corporate organisation were looted while 243 public property were looted.
“81 warehouses were looted while over 200 brand new buses bought by Lagos State Government were burnt to ashes,’’ he added.
According to Mr Mohammed, it was unfair for Nigerians to conclude that the operation of Twitter was suspended indefinitely because it deleted President Muhammadu Buhari’s message.
He said the action was taken because the platform was being used to promote the views of those who wanted to destabilise the country.
He added that Twitter consistently offered its platform to promote agendas that were inimical to the corporate existence of Nigeria.
“Twitter has become a platform of choice for a particular separatist promoter.
“The promoter consistently used the platform to direct his loyalists to kill Nigerian soldiers and policemen, run-down INEC offices and destroy all symbols of Nigeria’s sovereignty.
“Every attempt to persuade Twitter to deny its platform to this separatist leader was not taken seriously,’’ he said.
The minister said the Federal Government has no apology to offer to those unhappy over the suspension of Twitter’s operations in the country.
He said a country must exist in peace before people could exercise freedom of speech and fight for a source of livelihood.
