The Department of State Services (DSS) has formally issued a letter to Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, demanding the retraction of what it described as a “criminal, false and malicious” post about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In the letter dated 7th September 2025, signed by Uwem Davies for the Director General of DSS, the agency accused Sowore of making a defamatory statement on X (formerly Twitter) on 26th August 2025. The post allegedly referred to Tinubu as a “criminal” who traveled to Brazil to falsely claim that corruption no longer exists in Nigeria.
According to the DSS, Sowore’s statement was “false, malicious, odious, repugnant, derogatory, and capable of inciting public disturbance, disunity and breakdown of law and order.” The letter ordered Sowore to:
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Retract the statement on the same platform with equal prominence.
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Publish a public apology in at least two national newspapers and two television stations.
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Send a written representation to the DSS headquarters within one week.
The DSS warned that failure to comply would prompt it to “initiate measures it deems most appropriate within the ambit of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Sowore’s Response: “Unlawful, Repressive, and Defective”
In a strongly worded response addressed to the DSS Director General, Sowore rejected the agency’s demands, describing them as unconstitutional and a continuation of state repression. He accused the DSS of acting as a political tool for the President instead of fulfilling its security mandate.
Sowore recounted his long history of harassment and detention by Nigerian security agencies since his days as a student activist in the 1990s, through to his 2019 arrest on charges of treason, which he insists were trumped up. He also cited past court judgments affirming citizens’ rights to free expression and striking down sedition laws.
Quoting constitutional and international legal provisions, Sowore argued that criticism of public officials is protected speech in a democracy:
“Criticism is indispensable in a democracy. Freedom of speech includes the right to say what those in power find uncomfortable… The remedy is civil libel, not unlawful repression.”
He further asserted that the DSS has no legal right to act as proxy for President Tinubu in matters of defamation, citing a 2021 ruling that affirmed only an allegedly defamed individual can sue.
Rejecting the DSS’s ultimatum, Sowore declared:
“You have no business telling me how to criticise the President. The determination of the Nigerian people to reclaim their country from thieves in power is unwavering. And it shall be achieved. Freedom cometh by struggle. Aluta continua, victoria ascerta.”
Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has been a consistent critic of successive Nigerian governments. His confrontations with the DSS date back decades, with multiple arrests and prolonged detentions.
The latest clash underscores the growing tension between the Tinubu administration and opposition voices, raising questions about freedom of expression, state power, and democratic accountability in Nigeria.
📌 Reported by: Stone Reporters News
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