On September 6, 2025, Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS ) wrote to X Corp., owners of X (formerly Twitter), demanding the removal of a post by political activist Omoyele Sowore and the immediate deactivation of his account. The agency accused Sowore of spreading “falsehoods” after he referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal” in reaction to Tinubu’s claims during a visit to Brazil that corruption no longer exists under his administration.
The DSS cited the Criminal Code Act, the Cybercrimes Act 2025, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, alleging that Sowore’s words amounted to “misinformation,” “hate speech,” and “online harassment.” The agency subsequently wrote to Meta (Facebook’s parent company) on September 7, 2025, requesting similar action against Sowore’s Facebook account.
The DSS’s demands have provoked widespread criticism. Amnesty International Nigeria described the move as a blatant violation of freedom of expression and an attempt to silence dissent, urging the DSS to withdraw its demand. Sowore’s legal team has also condemned the action as “unlawful and unconstitutional,” warning that they will take legal steps to safeguard his rights. The African Action Congress (AAC), Sowore’s political party, has equally denounced the DSS’s action as renewed harassment and intimidation.
The MFWA views the DSS’s actions as an attempt to muzzle online political voices. We call on the Nigerian authorities to desist from such attempts at censorship and intimidation, and to uphold their obligations under Nigeria’s Constitution and international human rights law, particularly Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
