Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has demanded that social media platform X (formerly Twitter) delete a post by Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore and deactivate his account within 24 hours, warning of “far-reaching measures” if its request is ignored.
In a letter dated September 6 and signed by an official for the Director-General, the DSS accused Sowore of incitement, hate speech, and “domestic terrorism” after he called President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” while reacting to the president’s anti-corruption remarks in Brazil.
The agency claimed the post ridiculed the Nigerian leader before the international community, provoked street protests by Tinubu supporters, and posed a threat to national security.
“The said tweet is still in circulation and has attracted widespread condemnation by majority of Nigerians,” the DSS wrote. “Should you fail to comply, the Federal Government will be compelled to take sweeping measures through our organization.” The agency insisted both Sowore and X Corp could be held criminally liable if the post remains online.
But Sowore and his lawyers quickly countered, denouncing the move as unconstitutional censorship. Human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, writing on behalf of Sowore, sent a rebuttal to X’s legal and policy team on Sunday, describing the DSS directive as “illegal, without legal foundation, and an abuse of power.”
Temokun argued that freedom of expression is protected under Section 39 of Nigeria’s constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“The DSS is not a court; it has no authority to censor citizens or direct private platforms to remove content. Only a competent court can order such action,” he said. The letter cited Supreme Court and Court of Appeal precedents affirming that fundamental rights cannot be curtailed by executive fiat.
Sowore himself described the DSS demand as “a desecration of national dignity” and part of a pattern of harassment that has included arrests, travel bans, and accusations of terrorism financing. “Today it is me; tomorrow it could be any journalist, activist, or citizen who dares to question government,” he warned. The standoff now places X at the center of a politically charged battle between Nigeria’s secret police and one of its most outspoken critics, raising broader questions about state power, digital rights, and the issue of free expression in Africa’s largest democracy.
