After reporting to X, DSS writes Meta to take down Sowore’s post on Tinubu
The Department of State Services (DSS) has written to Meta Platforms Inc., demanding the immediate removal of a Facebook post by activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, which criticised President Bola Tinubu.
The letter, dated August 26, 2025, and signed by Uwem Davies on behalf of the Director-General of the DSS, accused Sowore of making “defamatory” and “inciting” statements against the President.
In the post, Sowore had described Tinubu as a “criminal” and accused him of lying about the state of corruption in Nigeria during a recent visit to Brazil.
The DSS claimed the post amounted to hate speech, misinformation, and an attempt to discredit the President, warning that it had already generated “online and offline tension across the country.” The agency cited provisions of the Criminal Code Act, the Cybercrimes Act 2025, and the Terrorism Prevention Act 2022, insisting that Sowore’s comments constituted a criminal offence under Nigerian law.
In its letter, addressed to Meta’s headquarters in California, the DSS demanded an urgent ban or deactivation of Sowore’s Facebook account, giving the company a 24-hour ultimatum to comply. The agency warned that failure to act could trigger “far-reaching and sweeping measures” from the Nigerian government.
The move comes days after the security agency reportedly flagged Sowore’s comments on X (formerly Twitter) to the platform, further signalling a tightening stance by the government against online criticism of the President.
