By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
There has been widespread outrage following the ban of a Nigerian investigative journalist’s WhatsApp account without prior warning, notification, or specific explanation from the social messaging platform.
The affected journalist, Mr. Idibia Gabriel, who uses the MTN line +234-7066810866, said his account was suddenly banned last Thursday without any prior notice or communication from WhatsApp.
“It’s expected that a responsible international communication platform like WhatsApp would give sufficient notice or specific reasons before banning a customer’s account — especially one used for journalistic work that serves the public good,” Gabriel lamented.
According to him, several attempts to appeal the decision and contact WhatsApp’s support team since the incident have yielded no positive response, as the ban remains active and unexplained.
A message displayed on his app reads: “This account is not allowed to use WhatsApp.” The platform’s general response stated:
“We ban accounts if we believe the account activity violates our Terms of Service, for example, if it involves spam, scams, or if it puts WhatsApp users’ safety at risk.”
However, the journalist denied any wrongdoing, insisting he had never shared offensive content or engaged in any activity that could violate WhatsApp’s terms.
“I suspect this might be a mistake or possibly an act of sabotage by political detractors,” Gabriel said, appealing to WhatsApp’s founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton, to “temper justice with mercy” and reconsider the suspension.
WhatsApp, which boasts over 3 billion users across 180 countries, is globally recognized for its secure and reliable messaging services. The app, whose name is a play on the phrase “What’s up?”, remains one of the most used communication tools worldwide.
When contacted, MTN’s customer service center confirmed that the journalist’s line remained active and functional on its network, expressing optimism that the issue could be resolved within seven days.
The unexplained ban has drawn concern from members of Nigeria’s media community, who fear the move could represent a troubling precedent for digital press freedom and highlight potential risks faced by journalists relying on global tech platforms for communication.
Observers have urged WhatsApp to adopt more transparent policies for account suspensions, especially for verified users and professionals whose work involves public interest reporting.
