Activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore has filed two lawsuits against the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly attempting to unlawfully censor his social media accounts. The legal action challenges the secret police’s demand that he retract a post criticizing President Bola Tinubu and apologise publicly. Sowore’s lawyer framed the case as a battle for free speech in Nigeria, warning that unchecked state censorship threatens democracy itself.
Key Points
- Sowore is seeking court orders to restrain the DSS from interfering with his social media posts.
- The suits also aim to prevent Meta (Facebook) and X (Twitter) from deleting content or deactivating their accounts.
- The legal move follows DSS letters to Sowore and X demanding retraction of an August 25 post calling Tinubu a “criminal.”
- The DSS had given Sowore a one-week ultimatum to apologise in national newspapers and on television.
- Sowore’s lawyer argued that censorship of political criticism violates Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution.
- The case highlights tensions between state security agencies and digital free speech rights.
- Sowore’s team warned that compliance by tech platforms would make them “complicit in suppression of liberty.”
This legal clash transcends Sowore’s individual case, testing the boundaries of state power, citizen expression, and the role of global platforms in protecting democratic freedoms.
Sources: TheCable
