FG Begins Clampdown On Online Newspapers, Social Media, Internet Users Perceived To Constitute “Threat To National Security “.

The Federal Government has begun secret moves that will see a number of online newspapers, blogs and websites perceived to constitute “threat to national security” permanently shut down. Social media and Internet users may also not be exempted from the clampdown which will begin any moment from now.

According to Sunday Tribune, we gathered authoritatively that the government, through the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), has engaged the services of a firm in Lagos to block the domain names of “several identified websites threatening national security.”

The Office of the National Security Adviser drew the list of the offensive websites and the number is in excess of 21, a memo written by NCC, a copy of which Sunday Tribune got said.

The letter, which was dated 20th October, 2017, is a reminder memo to the firm, indicating that other letters had earlier been written to the firm by NCC.

The memo was entitled: “Re: Request to Prevent the Commission of an Offence under Section 146 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.”

It was signed by NCC’s Head, Legal and Regulatory Services, one Yetunde Akinloye, while an official of the agency co-signed on behalf of Engineer Haru Alhassan who is the Director, New Media and Information Security.

Reference is made to another letter dated 27th September, 2017 on the above subject matter, directing the contracted firm “to restrict access to several identified websites threatening national security as identified by the Office of the National Security Adviser.”

Further to the said directive, the said firm “…is hereby required to immediately take steps to restrict access within the Nigerian cyberspace in respect of 21 (twenty one) additional websites by blocking the domain names.