The Department of State Services (DSS) has formally requested that X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, immediately deactivate Omoyele Sowore’s verified account.
According to the DSS, one of Sowore’s recent posts about President Bola Tinubu is highly inflammatory and could incite violence, posing a threat to national security.
Sowore, who is the publisher of Sahara Reporters and a former presidential candidate, described Tinubu as a “criminal” in a post made on August 25. This comment came in response to the president’s remarks on corruption during a trip to Brazil.
In a letter dated September 6 and signed by B. Bamigboye on behalf of the DSS director-general, the agency said Sowore’s tweet ridiculed the president on the international stage.
“The tweet is still circulating and has sparked widespread condemnation among Nigerians,” the letter states. “Some supporters of the president have even taken to the streets in protest, which is causing political tension and threatening national security.”
The DSS characterized Sowore’s post as spreading misleading information, online harassment, hate speech, and intentionally attempting to create division and damage Nigeria’s reputation.
The letter also warned that Sowore was fully aware that his post violates Nigerian laws. It cited several legal frameworks, including the criminal code, the cybercrime act, and the terrorism prevention act, going so far as to label the tweet as an act that could be classified as “domestic terrorism.”
The DSS demanded that X remove the post and deactivate Sowore’s account within 24 hours. Failure to do so, the agency warned, would result in the federal government taking “far-reaching” measures.
Both Sowore and X Corp were reminded that they could be held criminally responsible for the post and its widespread sharing. The letter urged the immediate removal of the tweet and all its reposts.
“This demand is firm and carries serious consequences,” the letter says. “If you fail to comply within 24 hours, the Federal Government will be forced to take sweeping actions through our agency, which is empowered to handle such offenses.”
