Sources indicate the Nigerian government shut off the country’s Internet and mobile communications networks in the capital of Abuja for 12 hours during May 29th’s presidential inauguration. OpenNet Initiative outlined the incident.
The election saw interim president Goodluck Jonathan elected for a full-term. Nigeria is not noteworthy for its repressive attitude to the Internet. In fact, Jonathan was the first presidential candidate anywhere to announce his candidacy on Facebook.
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The Internet and mobile block were electronic expressions of a more traditional military action. In Abuja, government forces were out in force, blocking roads and isolating the city, hoping to dissuade, ready to quell, violence.
Around 30 world leaders arrived for the inauguration.
As one Twitter user, @biodunolusesi, commented: “Abuja’s just out of over 12 hrs of telecom/data lockdown! No phone, no Internet for the entire democracy day. Hello!”
Nigeria has seen political violence, especially as it surrounds the issues of the country’s large oil deposits, environmental desolation around some of the drilling grounds and accused profiteering by the companies exploiting the resource and the government officials managing it.
Still, shutting down the Internet and mobile networks? It’s a bad precedent.
Abuja mosque photo by Shiraz Chakera, voting photo by Jeremy Weate | other sources: allAfrica
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