A 2019 presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, Adamu Garba, has made good his threat to sue the Chief Executive Officer or Twitter, Jack Dorsey, demanding $1bn damages, over the raging #EndSARS protests in Nigeria.
Garba is also praying the court to order the Nigeria Communication Commission “to stop the operation of Twitter International Company in any part of the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He further urged the court to direct the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the 2nd to 6th respondents in the suit to take measures, including “using force that is reasonably appropriate in the circumstance of the protest” to stop activities of Dorsey and Twitter.
Garba, who hails from Adamawa State, is also asking the court to make an order of perpetual injunction to restrain “Protesters (#EndSARS protest)” from further organising protests in any part of the country.
In a series of tweets, Garba accused Dorsey of soliciting funds for the protesters, saying he would sue him if the protest evolved into a disorder.
But Garba received widespread backlash from Nigerian youths, who described him as part of the problem the protest aimed to address.
Responding to his suit, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project said, on its Twitter handle, it would oppose the suit in court.
SERAP said on Tuesday that it had already instructed human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), to lead a team of lawyers to, on behalf of Nigerians, oppose Garba’s suit.
By Oladimeji Ramon