Disruption of Internet services during the #EndBadGovernance protests has raised concerns that the trend could be a pointer to an emerging authoritarianism in the country.

Condemning the move, civil society organisations argued that the trend was a violation of Nigeria’s international human rights obligations and domestic constitutional guarantees.

Enhancing Digital Rights in Nigeria (e-RIGHTS) Project partners claimed: “By deliberately disrupting Internet services, government is effectively silencing citizens, hindering their ability to access information, engage in public discourse and exercise their civic rights.”

The group, in a statement by its Executive Director,  Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Y.Z. Ya’u, noted that Nigeria is a signatory to several regional and international human rights treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

These instruments, Ya’u said, guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association.

“Domestically, Chapter Four of the Nigerian Constitution enshrines these fundamental freedoms.

“The ECOWAS Court of Justice’s ruling against Nigeria following the Twitter ban sets a significant precedent, highlighting the unconstitutionality of these actions.

“The internet has become an indispensable tool for exercising these rights in the 21st century. By deliberately disrupting internet services, the Nigerian government is effectively silencing citizens.”