Trump issued a statement late on Tuesday, supporting the Nigerian government's decision to suspend Twitter activities, the media reported.

 

"Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their President. More COUNTRIES should ban Twitter and Facebook for not allowing free and open speech - all voices should be heard," Trump said.

 

Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama said on Monday the country's decision to suspend Twitter is in the interest of national security and peace.

 

The Nigerian government on June 4 said it was indefinitely suspending Twitter's operations in the country, two days after the social media network removed a post from President Muhammadu Buhari where made a reference to the country's 30-month civil war in 1967-1970, warning "those who wanted the government to fail" to desist from fomenting trouble.

 

Trump, who is banned on Twitter, said that in the meantime, "competitors will emerge and take hold. Who are they to dictate good and evil if they themselves are evil? Perhaps I should have done it while I was President. But Zuckerberg kept calling me and coming to the White House for dinner telling me how great I was. 2024?"

 

Facebook last week suspended Trump from its platforms for two years, the maximum penalty under a newly revealed set of rules for suspending public figures, a move that was hailed by the independent Oversight Board which had upheld the earlier decision by the social network to ban Trump.

 

When the suspension is eventually lifted, there will be a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Trump commits further violations in future, up to and including permanent removal of his pages and accounts.