A Nigerian human rights group is to appeal against an Islamic court's decision to close down its Twitter and Facebook sites.

The Civil Rights Congress of Nigeria uses the website chat forums to discuss Nigeria's strict Sharia legislation. The group says the legislation mainly affects the poor while politicians steal millions with impunity.

The case was brought to court by an Islamic organisation, the Association of the Muslim Brotherhood of Nigeria, which aims to stamp out the internet debate about Sharia. The debate was triggered by the ten-year anniversary of the first sentence given by a Nigerian Sharia court: in March 2000 a peasant farmer's hand was amputated for stealing a cow.

Sharia law is currently in force in 12 of the Nigeria's 36 federal states, alongside the usual legal system. People can choose between the two systems. Sharia courts mainly deal with cases such as petty theft and divorce.