Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has refused to delete a tweet criticising President Bola Tinubu. The Department of State Services (DSS) had asked X (formerly Twitter) to remove the post.
On Sunday, Mr Sowore revealed that X notified him about a formal request from the DSS. He confirmed he would not comply. “One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet,” he said on Facebook.
DSS Letter to X and Sowore’s Response
According to Peoples Gazette, the DSS claimed Mr Sowore’s August 25 tweet broke Nigerian laws. In the tweet, he accused Mr Tinubu of lying during his state visit to Brazil.
X clarified it had not acted on the request. The platform noted its policy of defending freedom of expression. It advised Mr Sowore to review the notice and take action if he wished.
In a September 6 letter signed by B. Bamigboye, the DSS asked Elon Musk to suspend Sowore’s account within 24 hours. The agency accused him of spreading misleading information and promoting hate speech. It also threatened broad measures against X if the demand was ignored.
Mr Sowore dismissed the letter as “a national disgrace” and “an assault on institutions.” He said exporting the threat to a U.S.-based company showed how much Nigeria had declined. He vowed to continue his activism “with or without a Twitter account.”
