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By Oscar Okhifo
The Department of State Services (DSS) has ordered Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to remove a controversial tweet criticizing President Bola Tinubu within 24 hours, warning of potential “far-reaching” consequences if he fails to comply.
The directive, sent to X (formerly Twitter) on September 6, 2025, demands the immediate deactivation of Sowore’s verified account (@YeleSowore) unless the tweet is removed.
The DSS claims the post, which mocked President Tinubu for asserting that corruption has been eradicated under his administration during a visit to Brazil, constitutes “misleading information, online harassment, and hate speech.”
Sowore’s tweet, posted on August 25, 2025, 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!”
In its letter, the DSS argued that the tweet violates several Nigerian laws, including:
Section 51 of the Criminal Code Act, prohibiting the publication of false information;
Sections 19, 22, and 24 of the Cyber Crimes Act 2025, criminalizing the dissemination of misleading or offensive online content; and
The Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, suggesting that the post could amount to domestic terrorism.
Failure to comply, the DSS warned, could lead to “sweeping measures” against both Sowore and X Corp., potentially escalating tensions between Nigerian authorities and social media platforms.
President Tinubu had previously promised Nigerians that his administration would continue the policies of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari. Under Buhari, social media platforms like Twitter faced prolonged suspensions, sparking nationwide debates over free speech. With the DSS’s latest directive against Sowore, many Nigerians are already expressing concern that Tinubu may further clamp down on freedom of expression, potentially surpassing the restrictions seen under Buhari’s tenure.
This is not the first instance of friction between Nigeria and social media. In June 2021, the Federal Government temporarily suspended Twitter operations after the platform deleted a tweet by then-President Buhari. The ban was lifted in January 2022 following negotiations.
As of now, X Corp has not publicly responded to the DSS’s directive. The big question now is, what will the consequences be if X refuses to “play ball?” Will the Federal Government go the Buhari way? Will they arrest Sowore and dock him if he refuses to take down the tweet? All eyes are on the days ahead.