Twitter’s Founder, Dorsey, Liable For EndSARS Losses — Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government says Twitter and its founder, Jack
Dorsey, are vicariously liable for the losses the country suffered
during the EndSARS protest.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
stated this on Tuesday when he featured on “Politics Nationwide,’’
a Radio Nigeria call-in programme monitored by the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Mohammed alleged that Dorsey raised funds through Bitcoins to
sponsor the EndSARS protest while his platform, Twitter, was used
to fuel the crisis.

He said when he made the allegations earlier, Nigerians did not
take him seriously until an online media outfit carried out an
investigation and fact-checking.

The minister said the online publication confirmed that Dorsey
retweeted some of the posts by some of the coalitions supporting
the EndSARS protest.

He said it was also confirmed that the Twitter founder launched
fundraising asking people to donate via Bitcoins.

The minister said Dorsey further launched Emoji to make the
EndSARS protest visible on the microblogging site.

He said Dorsey also retweeted the tweets of some foreign and
local supporters of EndSARS.

“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 said.

The minister said it was unfair to conclude that the operation
of Twitter was suspended indefinitely because it deleted President
Muhammadu Buhari’s message.

He said the government was unambiguous that the action was taken
because the platform was being used to promote the views of those
who wanted to destabilise the country.

Mohammed 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.
(NAN)

The Federal Government says Twitter and its founder, Jack
Dorsey, are vicariously liable for the losses the country suffered
during the EndSARS protest.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,
stated this on Tuesday when he featured on “Politics Nationwide,’’
a Radio Nigeria call-in programme monitored by the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Mohammed alleged that Dorsey raised funds through Bitcoins to
sponsor the EndSARS protest while his platform, Twitter, was used
to fuel the crisis.

He said when he made the allegations earlier, Nigerians did not
take him seriously until an online media outfit carried out an
investigation and fact-checking.

The minister said the online publication confirmed that Dorsey
retweeted some of the posts by some of the coalitions supporting
the EndSARS protest.

He said it was also confirmed that the Twitter founder launched
fundraising asking people to donate via Bitcoins.

The minister said Dorsey further launched Emoji to make the
EndSARS protest visible on the microblogging site.

He said Dorsey also retweeted the tweets of some foreign and
local supporters of EndSARS.

“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 said.

The minister said it was unfair to conclude that the operation
of Twitter was suspended indefinitely because it deleted President
Muhammadu Buhari’s message.

He said the government was unambiguous that the action was taken
because the platform was being used to promote the views of those
who wanted to destabilise the country.

Mohammed 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.
(NAN)