Breaking: DSS Takes Strong Action Against Sowore for Calling Tinubu Criminal
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja - The Department of State Services (DSS) on Saturday, September 6, wrote a letter to X (formerly Twitter), demanding the immediate removal of a tweet posted by Omoyele Sowore within 24 hours.
Legit.ng reports that Sowore is a human rights activist, media entrepreneur, and the 2019 and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Source: Twitter
DSS tackles Sowore over Tinubu
According to letter from B. Bamigboye, representing the director general state services, failure of X to remove Sowore's controversial tweet would mean a legal action against the American social media platform.
The letter, addressed to the chairman and the chief executive officer (CEO) of X, demanded the immediate removal of Sowore's controversial tweet on Monday, August 25, 2025, via his verified X handle.
The tweet in question allegedly disparages President Tinubu, claiming he lied about the absence of corruption in his administration during a trip to Brazil. The letter argued that this tweet constitutes misleading information, hate speech, incitement to violence, and a threat to national security, violating Nigerian laws including the Criminal Code Act and the Cyber Crimes Act 2025.
The DSS accused Sowore of intentionally harming the President’s reputation and Nigeria’s image, potentially inciting unrest among the President’s supporters.
The DSS' statement partly reads:
"It is not in doubt that the words employed by Mr. Omoyele Sowore is misleading information, online harassment and abuse, willful intention of furthering an ideology capable of serious harm, hate speech, cause disunity, discredit/disparage the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria within the Comity of Nations to damage the image of Nigeria and cause serious threat to national security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."
It added:
"It is against the above highlighted backdrop that we make an immediate and urgent demand on your Corporation to as a matter of its own policy, immediately TAKE DOWN the tweet and its attendant re-tweets.
"This demand is unequivocal with its attendant consequence. Should you fail, neglect and refuse to comply with the command in this notice, the Federal Government will be compelled to take far-reaching, sweeping and across-the-board measures through our Organization, whose mandate covers such criminal acts.
"In the light of the above having been made official to you, 24 hours is sufficient enough to take necessary action."
The full content of the DSS' letter can be viewed below:
Background to Sowore's fresh controversy
Legit.ng recalls that President Tinubu recently said his reforms have sounded the death knell on corruption in Nigeria.
Speaking to investors in Brazil on Tuesday, August 26, Tinubu said his reforms have made the Nigerian economy more competitive, boosted revenue, and strengthened the nation’s finances.
Since taking office in May 2023, Tinubu has introduced a raft of economic policies that have elicited mixed reactions.
The president unified Nigeria’s multiple foreign exchange (FX) windows to enhance forex market stability. Tinubu also ended the petrol subsidy regime, which he described as unsustainable and a stranglehold on Nigeria’s economy.
Reacting to President Tinubu's claim in Brazil, Sowore, a critic of successive Nigerian governments, insisted that corruption is still a challenge in the country.
He wrote on his verified X and Facebook pages, with an accompanying video of the president's speech in Brazil:
"This criminal actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!"
While a few internet users sided with Sowore, many Nigerians took exception to Sowore's description of the president as "this criminal".
Lawal Semiu Leke wrote:
"If not that you are so daft, he should have gone to Brazil to say corruption is in Nigeria? Is that how to brand a country to attract foreign investors? You are complaining the country is bad but you are even contributing to her failure. Do you think USA doesn’t have her own problem? Is it not by proper PR we are seeing them as heaven on earth? How you are still allowed to be moving freely is beyond me. You should drop this brain of University Aluta and learn real politics and governance because you are so puerile, naive and irrational kid full of age."
Steve Bayode commented:
"Someone old enough to sire you is who you’re calling criminal because you’re still bitter Nigerians preferred him to you in the last election which you lost woefully to him. Omo ase iru e fun e."
Abiodun Adeparusi said:
"The full weight of the law supposed to be wielded on Sowore for describing the president of the federal Republic of Nigeria a "CRIMINAL"
"This is too harsh and not a human rights activism anymore but an act of criminality that needed to be investigated by authority of the Police and other security agencies."
What could make Sowore sue Tinubu
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Sowore made it clear that he would categorically reject any national award nomination from President Tinubu.
In a post via X, he stated that he would not only denounce the honour but would also take legal action for defamation if he were mistakenly included in the prestigious list.
Source: Legit.ng
