DSS Requests X (Formerly Twitter) to Suspend Omoyele Sowore’s Account Over Anti-President Tweet

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has formally requested X Corp. (formerly Twitter) to deactivate the verified account of Nigerian activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore), citing national security concerns.

In an official petition addressed to the Chairman and CEO of X Corp., headquartered in Bastrop County, Texas, USA, the DSS alleged that a tweet posted by Sowore on August 25, 2025, at approximately 11:38 PM WAT, contained inflammatory and misleading content aimed at discrediting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The petition, signed by “B. Bamigboye, fsi, For: Director General State Services,” and posted to the DSS’s official X handle, was dated September 6, 2025.

Below is an excerpt from the DSS’s petition:

To: The Chairman and CEO, X Corp.
Bastrop County, Texas, USA
Email: press@x.com

Subject: Request for Immediate Deactivation of X Account Belonging to Omoyele Sowore Due to Content Threatening National Security

The DSS claims to have tracked and monitored a “widely condemned” tweet from Sowore’s verified handle, which they assert ridiculed and insulted the President of Nigeria. The tweet read:

“This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”

According to the DSS, this post directly targeted the President through his official X account, @officialABAT, and has since remained online, gathering reactions that have allegedly sparked political unrest and public demonstrations among pro-government groups.

The DSS stated that the tweet violates Nigerian laws, including:

• Section 51 of the Criminal Code Act (Cap. 77) – Prohibiting false publications
• Sections 19, 22, and 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2025 – Criminalizing the spread of fake news, offensive content, and online incitement
• Section 2(3) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 – Concerning ideological promotion of acts that could endanger public safety

The agency alleged that the tweet amounted to “online harassment, abuse, hate speech, and an attempt to incite disunity and harm the image of Nigeria internationally.” They warned that failure to take down the tweet within 24 hours would result in “far-reaching, sweeping, and across-the-board measures” by the government.

Omoyele Sowore Responds: “Another Act of National Disgrace”

In response, Sowore issued a strongly worded statement criticizing the DSS’s move, describing it as unconstitutional and politically motivated. He also referenced a recent protest near the Federal High Court, allegedly orchestrated by government operatives, calling for his arrest.

Sowore’s reaction reads in part:

“This morning I woke up to yet another act of national disgrace—an assault on institutions and on common sense. I had seen it coming since last Tuesday, when a group of hired DSS protesters paraded around the Federal High Court chanting that I should ‘leave Tinubu alone.’”

“So it came as no surprise to discover a ridiculously crafted letter from the DSS to X demanding that my account be shut down within 24 hours. I won’t be surprised if the same request was made to Facebook.”

He accused the Tinubu administration of consistently using security forces to silence dissent and described the DSS’s action as a further degradation of Nigeria’s democratic space.

“These guys are outlaws who operate above their own laws. This latest self-disgrace by the DSS is a desecration of national dignity.”

Sowore has faced repeated clashes with Nigerian authorities in the past over his activism and criticisms of successive governments.