Remove Sowore’s account over anti-Tinubu post – DSS writes X formerly Twitter issues ultimatum
DSS writes X to
Remove Sowore’s account over anti-Tinubu post DSS writes X formerly Twitter issues ultimatum
The Department of State Services (DSS) has formally requested that X Corp., the company that owns the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), deactivate the verified account of activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore.
The demand stems from a tweet by Sowore that the DSS claims is “misleading, offensive and capable of threatening Nigeria’s national security.”
In a letter dated September 6, 2025, and addressed to X Corp.’s headquarters in Texas, the DSS cited a post from Sowore’s account (#YeleSowore) on August 25, 2025. The controversial tweet read, “This criminal #officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”
According to the letter, signed by B. Bamigboye, the DSS alleges that the post directly “disparaged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu” and constitutes “misleading information, online harassment, hate speech, and incitement capable of causing disunity and violence.”
The agency also claimed the tweet has “attracted widespread condemnation,” leading to protests from the president’s supporters and a rise in political tension.
The DSS cited several Nigerian laws, including the Cyber Crimes Act 2025 and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, arguing that both Sowore and the platform could face criminal liability.
The DSS demanded the immediate removal of the tweet and all retweets within 24 hours.
The letter warned that failure to comply would compel the Nigerian government to take “far-reaching and sweeping measures.”
The agency concluded that Sowore’s remarks were a “willful attempt to discredit the President before the comity of nations, damage Nigeria’s image, and pose a serious threat to national security.”
