Pat Stevens/
Human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, this evening revealed via his X account that the Department of State Services (DSS) has given him a one-week ultimatum to retract a social media post in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
Failure to comply, the secret police warned, would force them to “explore all lawful means” to protect national security and public order.
The ultimatum stems from a letter dated September 7, 2025, signed by Uwem Davies, Director of Legal Services at the DSS, in which the agency accused Sowore of making “false, malicious, and inciting” remarks in an August 26 post on X (formerly Twitter).
The DSS claimed the post had sparked anger, “could incite public disturbance, disunity, and even insurrection,” and demanded that Sowore retract the statement with the same visibility on the platform, issue a public apology in at least two national newspapers and beamed on two national TV stations, and submit a formal representation to its Abuja headquarters within the week.
The agency copied the United States Embassy in Abuja in the correspondence, highlighting the gravity the DSS attributes to the case, given Sowore’s international profile and dual residency.
Earlier, the DSS also reached out to X to have the post removed. Shortly after, they wrote to Meta, requesting the deactivation of Sowore’s Facebook account over similar allegations of “misleading information,” “hate speech,” and threats to national security.
Unyielding, Sowore responded on his X handle, “Even if you @OfficialDSSNG give me till the end of Tinubu’s tenure in 2027, I will NOT withdraw my statement (for I believe his tenure shall not go beyond on or before 2027).”
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