ABUJA — Human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has lashed out at the Department of State Services (DSS) after the secret police reportedly wrote to Meta, parent company of Facebook, demanding the deactivation of his account over a post critical of President Bola Tinubu.
The move comes barely 24 hours after the DSS issued a similar letter to social media platform X, ordering the removal of Sowore’s tweet in which he described Tinubu as a “criminal.” The agency had warned that the comment was defamatory, inciteful, and a threat to national security.
But Sowore, in defiance, vowed not to delete the post, insisting that the DSS had no authority to silence him.
On Monday, the activist shared a copy of the DSS letter dated September 7, 2025, and signed by Uwem Davies on behalf of the Director-General of the Service. The document, addressed to Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, referenced Sowore’s August 26 post accusing Tinubu of lying about corruption during his visit to Brazil.
In the letter, the DSS accused Sowore of “spreading misleading information” and engaging in “hate speech” capable of inciting violence and undermining national security. The agency cited Section 51 of the Criminal Code Act, sections of the Cyber Crimes Act 2025, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 as legal backing for its demand.
It further insisted on the “immediate and urgent ban/deactivation” of all Facebook accounts linked to Sowore, warning Meta of “far-reaching, sweeping measures” should it fail to comply within 24 hours.
Reacting, Sowore condemned the DSS as “lawless” and “incompetent,” questioning its priorities in light of worsening insecurity in the country.
“Too idle and incompetent to secure Nigeria… has now written to @facebook, begging them to delete content they find ‘offensive’ to their equally idle, tired, and criminal Commander-in-Chief,” he wrote.
The DSS deadline to Meta is set to expire on September 8, 2025.
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