Lawyers Accuse DSS of Trying to Silence Sowore, Petition Meta to Resist Pressure
- Lawyers representing Omoyele Sowore petitioned Meta to reject a request from Nigeria’s DSS seeking to deactivate his Facebook account
- The dispute stemmed from an August 26 post about President Tinubu, which DSS described as false and inflammatory
- Sowore’s legal team said the request was unconstitutional and warned that granting it would enable political censorship
Lawyers representing Nigerian activist Omoyele Sowore have petitioned Meta Platforms Inc. to disregard a request from the Department of State Services (DSS) demanding the deactivation of his Facebook account.
The legal team, led by Inibehe Effiong Chambers, described the DSS move as unlawful and a direct attempt to silence political criticism.
Source: Facebook
They argued that the agency’s request was neither backed by Nigerian law nor consistent with Meta’s own community standards.
Freedom of expression and Nigerian law
In their six-page letter addressed to Meta’s headquarters in California, the lawyers insisted that Sowore’s right to freedom of expression is protected under the Nigerian Constitution and international conventions.
They pointed to Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as guarantees for citizens to express opinions without interference.
“The demand by the SSS is an egregious effort to massage the ego of the Nigerian President,” the lawyers wrote.
“It is an attempt to undermine Nigeria’s democratic journey and foist tyranny on the country.”
They also stressed that if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believed his reputation had been damaged by Sowore’s post, the proper channel would be to file a defamation suit rather than deploy a state security agency to intervene.
Post at the centre of dispute
The controversy stems from a post Sowore published on August 26, 2025, where he wrote:
“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!”
Source: Twitter
The DSS subsequently wrote to both Facebook and X, claiming the statement amounted to “misleading information” that could incite violence and endanger national security.
Sowore has rejected the accusation, maintaining that he has no intention of deleting the post.
Meta urged to stand firm
Effiong’s chambers argued that Sowore’s post did not breach any of Meta’s rules on hate speech, harassment, or incitement.
They cautioned that granting the DSS request would embolden the government to clamp down on dissenting voices across Nigeria.
“We passionately urge Meta Platforms Inc. to reject the demand made by the SSS for the ban or deactivation of our client’s Facebook accounts. Acquiescing to the unlawful and draconian demands of the SSS will set a dangerous precedent,” the letter said.
As of Monday evening, neither Meta nor the DSS had issued a formal statement on the matter.
DSS arraigns 9 prime suspects
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Department of State Services (DSS) had arraigned nine individuals alleged to be prime suspects in the recent killings that rocked Benue and Plateau states.
The suspects were brought before the court following weeks of investigations into the violent attacks that left several communities devastated.
Source: Legit.ng
