MTN therefore advised that the management of the Peoples Gazette should engage with the NCC, MTN
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The Nigerian government ordered largest telecommunications network by subscriber base, MTN Nigeria, to block access to the website of Peoples Gazette, MTN admitted in a letter published by the newspaper.
The Peoples Gazette website came under attack in January after the newspaper said it published a story that exposed alleged influence peddling of a son of the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Gambari, on matters of contracts and appointments.
MTN in a letter to the Peoples Gazette through it’s lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, said it blocked its subscribers from accessing the website of the Peoples Gazette following a written directive from the NCC.
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The letter reads in part: “Please be advised that the network access restriction for https://peoplesgazette.com is pursuant to the directives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (“Commission”) dated 26 January 2021,
“As a responsible corporate organization, MTN complied with the said directive in line with both the provisions of section 146 of the Nigeria Communications Act, 2003 and the applicable terms and conditions of MTN’s operating licenses.”
“While MTN empathizes with the owners and management of the Peoples Gazette, it would be unable to unilaterally reverse or lift the restriction except by the directives of the Commission. MTN therefore advises that the management of the Peoples Gazette should engage with the Commission for a resolution of this issue and issuance of the directives to reverse the restriction.”
In October this year, a non governmental organisation, Spaces for Change, raised the alarm that in addition to acquiring sophisticated technology to spy on Nigerians, the Nigerian government has also appropriated certain legal powers to undertake such an activity.
