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Mobile internet user in Kankara, Nigeria (archive image):
Photo: STR / AFP
Most people in Nigeria, West Africa, have had access to the short message service Twitter blocked since Saturday.
The Association of Nigerian Telecommunications Operators announced that a government directive was implemented.
The government of the state with more than 200 million inhabitants surprisingly announced the lock on Friday evening without giving a specific reason.
However, she pointed out that the platform was repeatedly used for activities that could "undermine Nigeria's existence."
On Wednesday, Twitter deleted a controversial tweet from Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and suspended the account of the head of state for twelve hours.
The tweet was about the current unrest in the southeast of the country, which Buhari brought in connection with the civil war in Nigeria in the late 1960s.
The Twitter lock met with heavy criticism.
Many users accused the government of taking action against freedom of expression in the country.
Non-governmental organizations, including the Nigerian Bar Association, have announced legal action should the lockdown persist.
Twitter described the measure as "deeply worrying".
Anietie Ewang, representative of Human Rights Watch, wrote of a "clear attempt to censor dissent" and suppress civic engagement.
The human rights organization Amnesty International called on Nigeria to withdraw the "illegal blockade" immediately.
The lock initially only affected the mobile internet, which is where most people in Nigeria have access to Twitter.
The service is still accessible via the much more expensive broadband network.
In the most populous country in Africa, Twitter is very popular.
In the past year, young Nigerians repeatedly used the platform to organize protests against police violence.
Other countries such as China and Turkey are also restricting access to social media and are being sharply criticized internationally for this.
In February, Twitter lamented the blocking of access to its platform in Myanmar as part of the crackdown on protesters by security forces following the military coup.
lov / AFP / dpa
