Twitter ban: Don’t access social media via VPN, APC warns Nigerians

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted Nigerians of the many risks involved in accessing contents, especially social media using the Virtual Private Network (VPN).

It said it is vulnerable to the heinous activities of criminal hackers who can steal data and money in bank accounts.

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The Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, in a statement on Tuesday, cautioned legitimate private and public entities operating in the country to avoid the many dangers of exposing themselves to cybercrimes through the use of VPN which it said was not adequately secured.

“This advisory is necessary because, despite the massive compliance by Nigerians to the federal government’s suspension of Twitter operations in the country, some individuals in the country have resorted to VPN to assess Twitter whose unwholesome activities were detrimental to peace and public order in the country.

“Those using the VPN are advised to desist in their own interests because of its risks, which include data theft, illegal access to strategic company documents and possible economic espionage.

“The APC emphasises that VPN users expose their devices to vulnerabilities because the network allows third parties access to personal data and changes user location to another country which compromises data integrity.

“Your record can be traced to another country that is not yours, with all the risks that entail.

“Many individuals and organisations using VPN have lost their investments after compromising the security of their devices.

“The APC strongly advises that Nigerians should avoid installing or using VPN to access social networking sites in order to protect their privacy and security online.

“This is in our individual and collective interest,” the party said.

The Nigerian government had last week suspended Twitter operations in the country after accusing the site of encouraging crises in the country.

However, many Nigerians are still using Twitter via VPN and other applications which protects their location and allow them to change it at will.

PDP blames APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – the main opposition party – on Monday, accused the National Caucus of the APC of being behind the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria.

The party, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said revelations available to it showed how APC leaders at one of their party’s national caucus meeting recommended the regulation of social media in Nigeria and how they have been plotting to obliterate internet-based interaction platforms such as Twitter.

The statement read in part: “The PDP recalls how the APC Caucus has been pushing bills in the National Assembly, particularly in November 2020, seeking to enforce a draconian regulation of social media so as to gag Nigerians from exposing its atrocities, including human right abuses, treasury looting, nepotism and sectional marginalization by the APC administration.

“Nigerians can also recall how the APC administration in carrying out the agenda of its party has been using the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, to suffocate the media space with humongous fines and threats of suspension of operating license on broadcast stations.”