Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and a prominent opposition figure, has publicly rejected a directive from the Department of State Services (DSS) to delete a social media post critical of President Bola Tinubu. The DSS reportedly sent a letter to X (formerly Twitter), demanding the post’s removal and threatening “far-reaching” measures if the platform did not comply.
In a statement on his X account, Sowore confirmed that the platform had notified him of the DSS’s request. He firmly stated that he would not be taking the option to delete the post, describing the security agency’s action as a “despicable threat letter” from a “lawless” entity.
The tweet in question, posted on August 26, criticized President Tinubu’s comments on corruption during a visit to Brazil. Sowore’s post, which described the president as a “criminal” and accused him of “lying shamelessly,” has been at the center of the controversy.
According to the notification Sowore shared from X, the DSS claimed the tweet violated several Nigerian laws, including the Cyber Crimes Act and the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act. The agency argued that the content was a threat to national security and could incite public unrest, alleging that some of the president’s supporters had already taken to the streets in protest.
While X confirmed receiving the legal request, it informed Sowore that it had “not taken any action on the reported content at this time,” in line with its transparency policy of notifying users of such government demands.
This latest clash adds to a history of confrontations between Sowore and Nigerian security agencies. He has been previously detained on charges related to his calls for nationwide protests and has been an outspoken critic of successive administrations.
