President Tinubu
The Department of State Services (DSS) has written to X Corp (formerly Twitter), demanding the immediate removal of a post by activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, over comments deemed offensive to President Bola Tinubu and a threat to national security.
The controversial post was shared by Sowore on August 25 via his verified X handle, @YeleSowore. In the post, he criticised President Tinubu’s remark during a state visit to Brazil, where Tinubu claimed that corruption had been eradicated in Nigeria.
Sowore called the president a “criminal” and accused him of lying, referencing Tinubu’s official handle, @officialABAT.
In a letter dated September 6 and signed by B. Bamigboye on behalf of the Director-General of the DSS, the agency described the tweet as false, inflammatory and a violation of both national security and online conduct standards.
The DSS warned that the post had the potential to incite public unrest, particularly among Tinubu’s supporters, some of whom had already staged protests.
Part of the letter read:
“The said tweet is still in circulation and has attracted widespread condemnation by majority of Nigerians, some of whom may resort to unwholesome activities… thereby creating political tension and threatening the country’s national security.”
The DSS also raised concerns about the tweet’s impact on the President’s reputation internationally, stating that it could undermine Nigeria’s standing before the “comity of nations.”
Citing Nigerian laws, the agency said Sowore’s post breached provisions of the Criminal Code Act, the Cyber Crimes Act 2025, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.
Specifically, the letter referenced sections dealing with spreading false information, online harassment, incitement, and hate speech.
The DSS insisted that the post violated Sections 19, 22, and 24 of the Cyber Crimes Act, which criminalise the publication of content intended to embarrass, provoke hatred, or cause public disorder, both online and offline.
It claimed Sowore’s tweet amounted to “domestic terrorism.”
“The words employed by Mr. Omoyele Sowore,” the letter said, “are misleading information, online harassment and abuse, and a willful attempt to spread an ideology capable of serious harm to national unity.”
X Corp was given a 24-hour ultimatum to take down the tweet and any re-posts or related content.
The DSS also warned that failure to comply could lead to severe action from the Federal Government.
“If your corporation fails to comply with the command, the Federal Government will be compelled to take far-reaching, sweeping and across-the-board measures,” the agency said.
