#TwitterBan: NCC is a regulator not prosecutor’ – Comission says

The Nigerian Communications Commission says it is not within its purview to arrest and prosecute violators of the Twitter suspension order.

NewsWireNGR had reported that in a statement on Saturday, the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, had directed the Director of Public Prosecution to liaise with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, the NCC and other relevant government agencies “to ensure the speedy prosecution of offenders without any further delay.”

However speaking to The Punch on Monday, the Director of Public Affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, said it was not within the power of the commission to arrest or prosecute.

“The NCC is a regulator. It is not within our power to arrest or prosecute. Based on our statement, we limited ourselves based on the order given to us by the government, which was to instruct the operators to disconnect, which was what we did. So, the other aspects are not within our purview,” Adinde said.