Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has raised alarm over what he described as “lawless attempts” by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) to silence him on social media.
Sowore disclosed on Sunday morning that X (formerly Twitter) officially notified him about a complaint from the DSS seeking the removal of one of his recent posts concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In the notice shared by Sowore, X informed him that it had received a request from the DSS alleging that his post violated Nigerian laws. However, the platform clarified that it had not taken any action on the reported content.
“In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a request from Department of State Services regarding your X account, @YeleSowore, that claims the following content violates the law(s) of Nigeria. We have not taken any action on the reported content at this time,” the company stated in its letter.
X further explained that it strongly believes in defending and respecting the voices of its users worldwide, and therefore notifies account holders whenever governments or law enforcement agencies attempt to restrict content.
The platform also encouraged Sowore to evaluate the request and, if necessary, seek legal counsel, noting that such demands are documented in its global Transparency Report.
Reacting, Sowore vowed that he would not bow to pressure from the Nigerian secret police, insisting that one option he would never consider is deleting his tweet.
“One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet,” he declared.
This development has sparked renewed debate about freedom of expression in Nigeria, with rights advocates warning that attempts to intimidate activists online undermine democratic principles.
As of press time, the DSS has not publicly commented on the notice or confirmed its reported move against Sowore.
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