*Cites Decades of Rights Abuses
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has fired back at the Department of State Services (DSS) after the agency issued him a letter demanding the deletion of his social media posts critical of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page on Friday, Sowore confirmed receipt of the letter, which was reportedly dropped off at his lawyer’s office in Abuja. The DSS accused him of publishing “criminal, false, and malicious” content and demanded a retraction.
But Sowore, in a strongly worded response addressed to DSS Director-General, Uwem Davies, rejected the agency’s directive, describing it as unlawful, unconstitutional, and a misuse of state power.
He argued that the DSS has no legal mandate to act as a proxy for President Tinubu, insisting that only an individual personally defamed can seek redress through civil litigation. Sowore cited several court rulings, including the landmark Arthur Nwankwo v. State (1985), which struck down sedition laws in Nigeria, affirming citizens’ right to free expression.
Tracing his long history of confrontations with the secret police, Sowore recalled being abducted and detained multiple times since the 1990s, including his prolonged incarceration in 2019 on charges of treasonable felony. He accused the DSS of consistently serving as a tool of oppression for authoritarian governments while disregarding court orders and violating citizens’ rights.
Sowore further invoked constitutional provisions and international human rights instruments guaranteeing freedom of speech, arguing that criticism of leaders is essential in any democracy.
“You have no business telling me how to criticise the President,” he wrote. “The determination of the Nigerian people to reclaim their country from thieves in power is unwavering. And it shall be achieved. Freedom cometh by struggle. Aluta continua, victoria ascerta.”
The fiery exchange deepens long-running tensions between Sowore and Nigeria’s security agencies, raising fresh concerns over free speech, democratic accountability, and the role of state institutions under the Tinubu administration.
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