#EndSARS: Ex-presidential aspirant withdraws suit against Twitter founder

After criticism and condemnation, a former presidential aspirant, Adamu Garba, has withdrawn his suit filed against Jack Dorsey, the Chief Executive Officer and founder of Twitter International Company.

Mr Garba, a 2019 presidential aspirant on the platform of the APC, also apologised to Nigerians for his actions during the period of #EndSARS protest.

PREMIUM TIMES in October reported how protest against police brutality rocked many parts of Nigeria with protesters calling for the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit of the police.

The protest later turned bloody on October 20 after the military opened fire on protesters, at Lekki toll gate, the epicentre of the rally.

In the aftermath of the attack on the protesters, many properties and police stations were vandalised.

Mr Garba, through his lawyer, Abbas Ajiya, sued Twitter and its founder before the Federal High Court, Abuja, over his role in the #EndSARS protests.

He accused Mr Dorsey of actively supporting the funding of the #EndSARS protests across the nation.

The motion on notice was brought pursuant to order II Rules 1, 2, 3 of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009 and Sections 34(1), 35(1) and 41(1), and 43 of the 1999 Constitution.

Others joined in the suit include the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigeria Communications Commission.

He sought an order that Twitter founders should pay him $1 billion as damages. He also wanted the court to stop Twitter from operating in Nigeria.

Mr Adamu’s action later generated furore on social media.

The matter, which came up on November 25, 2020, before a judge, Giwa-Ogunbanjo, was adjourned until April 22, 2021, for the continuation of the hearing.

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But on Sunday, Mr Adamu took to Twitter to announce that he is withdrawing the case.

“UPDATE ON MY CASE WITH JACK & TWITTER

Why I took @jack to Court.

I think the action have served its purpose. I’ve written to our lawyers to withdraw the case from court

I also tendered my sincere apologies to Nigerians who are pained by my #EndSARS actions

Nigeria shall rise https://t.co/JlSWzCRsfP”

He said in the video attached to the tweet that his effort was to ensure that international communities do not play politics with Nigerian lives in the name of #EndSARS.

Despite withdrawing the suit, he is still being criticised by Nigerians who did not find sense in his earlier actions.

Following the protests, the Nigerian government asked state governments to set up panels of inquiry to look at cases of police brutality and related matters in their states.

Over 20 states have inaugurated the panels and cases are currently being heard by the panels.