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DSS Gives X 24 Hours To Suspend Omoyele Sowore’s Account Over Tweet Criticising President Tinubu
The agency said the tweet, directed at the president’s official handle @officialABAT, has continued to circulate widely, attracting backlash and the potential to trigger unrest.
Abuja, Nigeria– The Department of State Services (DSS) has formally petitioned X Corp., the parent company of the social media platform X, demanding the urgent suspension of the verified account of Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
In a letter dated September 6, 2025, and signed by B. Bamigboye on behalf of the Director-General of the DSS, the agency accused Sowore of using his X handle, @YeleSowore, to disparage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and promote content capable of inciting violence, hate speech, and cybercrime.
The DSS cited a post made by Sowore on August 25, 2025, at 11:38 p.m. WAT, in which he described President Tinubu as “a criminal” and accused him of lying about eradicating corruption in Nigeria during a public engagement in Brazil.
The agency said the tweet, directed at the president’s official handle @officialABAT, has continued to circulate widely, attracting backlash and the potential to trigger unrest.
The DSS described the publication as “misleading information and a willful intention to further an ideology capable of serious harm,” warning X Corp. to deactivate Sowore’s account within 24 hours.
Failure to act, the agency warned, would compel the Nigerian government to take “far-reaching, sweeping and across-the-board measures” against the platform.
While the DSS claimed the post had been widely condemned, it did not provide evidence of security threats arising from the comment.
Sowore, a longtime critic of successive Nigerian governments, has repeatedly accused the state of attempting to silence dissent.
The statement read, DEMAND FOR IMMEDIATE AND URGENT BAN/DEACTIVATION OF AN X ACCOUNT OWNED BY OMOYELE SOWORE THROUGH HIS VERIFIED X HANDLE @YELESOWORE OR ANY OTHER X ACCOUNT ΜΑΙΝΤΑΙΝED BY HIM.
“We detected and monitored with dismay and consternation a widely condemned publication/trending Tweet by Omoyele Sowore on his X official handle page @YeleSowore on 25th August, 2025 about 11:38 PM local time (2338 hours) WAT disparaging and ridiculing the President of the Federal Republic 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 DSS, “Those words were personally directed at Mr. President through his official communication channel @officialABAT which is the known X handle of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The said tweet is herewith attached and will be referenced on herein for emphasis and necessary action.
“The said tweet is still in circulation and has attracted widespread condemnation by majority of Nigerians, some of whom may resort to unwholesome activities to vent.
“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,” DSS added.
