FG Denies Alleged Plot To Shutdown Internet During Elections

In a statement from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on Friday, the government said there was no plan to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to work with service providers to shut down internet access during the polls. It condemned the reports of the alleged plot to shut down internet access to facilitate rigging of the polls, noting that they were untrue. “The Office wishes to advise the general public to disregard the allegation, which is disinformation,” said the government in the statement by the ONSA spokesperson, Danjuma Reuben. “This Office wishes to state that the internet and associated communications infrastructure are major components of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), which ONSA is mandated to ensure its security.” The government noted that the ONSA has been making continuous efforts in collaboration with relevant government ministries, departments and agencies to protect them and improve service delivery to Nigerians. It stressed that every single national security platform in the country rides on the same internet to function. The government, therefore, likened “shutting down” the internet to shutting down national development and security. “The Office of the National Security Adviser remains committed to protecting the rights of the public to access Information and Communication Technology facilities,” the statement added. “The Office also remains non-partisan and committed to ensuring that Nigerians freely exercise their civil rights.”]]>