Human rights activist and SaharaReporters writer Omoyele Sowore has written to X (previously Twitter), countering a requirement by the State Safety Providers (SSS) for the deletion of considered one of his posts and deactivation of his account.
Mr Sowore’s authorized staff, which authored the letter on his behalf on Sunday, described the SSS request despatched to X early Sunday as “illegal, unconstitutional, and with out authorized basis.”
In a letter shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, Mr Sowore’s legal professionals, led by human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, despatched a letter to X’s authorized and coverage staff titled, ‘RE: Request by the Nigerian Division of State Providers (DSS) to Take away Content material Posted by Omoyele Sowore.’
“We write to formally state that such a request is illegal, unconstitutional, and with out authorized basis, on the next grounds,” Mr Temokun acknowledged.
Mr Temokun acknowledged that Mr Sowore, a journalist, pro-democracy activist, and Nigerian citizen, had dropped at their consideration a request from the SSS demanding the removing of considered one of his posts regarding President Bola Tinubu.
The authorized staff formally acknowledged that such a request is illegal, unconstitutional, and with out authorized basis.
Grounds for problem
The letter spotlighted that freedom of expression is assured underneath Part 39(1) of Nigeria’s structure and additional protected underneath Article 9 of the African Constitution on Human and Peoples’ Rights, domesticated into Nigerian regulation.
Mr Temokun emphasised that no administrative company, together with the SSS, has the authority to censor residents or compel non-public platforms to take away content material, and solely a sound courtroom order can justify any restriction.
The letter additionally cited Nigerian courtroom rulings, together with the Supreme Court docket in Director, SSS v. Agbakoba and the Court docket of Attraction in Arthur Nwankwo v. The State, affirming that basic rights can’t be curtailed by government fiat.
It pointed to a historic sample of repression in opposition to Mr Sowore, noting a number of arrests, detentions, and journey restrictions linked to his activism since 2019.
Mr Temokun warned that complying with the SSS request would implicate X in violating Nigerian and worldwide human rights requirements.
“Our consumer reserves the correct to hunt redress earlier than competent nationwide and worldwide fora ought to any motion be taken that violates his rights.
“Kindly verify receipt of this letter and talk your place to us forthwith,” Mr Temokun famous.
Sowore and lawyer condemn SSS
This newspaper reported earlier that Mr Sowore and his lawyer, Mr Temokun, individually condemned the SSS try to stress X as unlawful, unconstitutional, and an abuse of energy.
Mr Temokun pressured that solely a reliable courtroom can order the removing of speech, and that the SSS will not be a courtroom however a safety company.
He warned that privately pressuring platforms to delete content material is an illegal abuse of energy that might threaten any journalist, activist, or strange citizen who challenges the federal government.
Mr Sowore equally described in a Fb submit the SSS demand as “a desecration of nationwide dignity” and a part of a broader effort to silence his criticism past Nigeria’s borders.
He stated he found a “ridiculously crafted letter” from the SSS demanding that his account be deactivated inside 24 hours and added that he wouldn’t be shocked if the identical utilized to his Fb web page.
He additionally cited earlier harassment, together with arrests, detentions, and passport seizures linked to his activism.
SSS claims
PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier on Sunday how SSS wrote to X Corp, the proprietor of the social media platform X (previously Twitter), demanding the deletion of a tweet by Mr Sowore or face official repercussions.
Signed by B. Bamigboye, on behalf of the company’s Director Common, the letter accused Mr Sowore of publishing “deceptive info, hate speech and content material able to inciting violence” through his verified deal with, @YeleSowore.
The SSS (often known as DSS) cited a 25 August submit during which Mr Sowore known as President Tinubu a “felony” and alleged dishonesty relating to corruption.
The company warned that the submit threatened nationwide safety and risked scary unrest among the many president’s supporters.
It referenced the Legal Code Act, the Cybercrimes Act 2025, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 as authorized grounds and threatened “far-reaching, sweeping and across-the-board measures” if X did not comply.
X response
On Sunday, Mr Sowore said X notified him of the SSS request however had not acted on it.
He vowed to not delete the submit, calling the SSS motion “despicable” and “lawless.”
In its assertion, X stated it informs customers when it receives authorized requests from authorised entities to take away content material.
The corporate suggested Sowore to hunt authorized counsel or interact civil society teams if he wished to problem the request and pointed him to its authorized assets and transparency report.
Never-ending battles
Mr Sowore, a frenetic authorities critic, has confronted arrests, detentions and prosecutions by the police and the SSS during the last six years over his anti-government protests and remarks.
Beneath former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, he was arrested, detained for months and charged with treasonable felony over his #RevolutionNow protest.
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He accused Mr Tinubu authorities of utilizing safety businesses to persecute him because the #EndBadGovernance protests final 12 months.
He recounted being positioned on a no-entry checklist at airports, having his passport seized, being arrested, rearrested and injured by cops and dealing with what he described as trumped-up expenses, together with an allegation of terrorism financing.
“First, in the course of the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest, they ordered Immigration to position me on a no-entry checklist in any respect worldwide airports,” he continued.
“Then, the unlawful IGP had me arrested for calling him what he’s. A Federal Excessive Court docket choose was procured to grab my passport since February 2025. I used to be then rearrested lately, my cell was damaged into by eight armed cops who injured my proper hand, and dragged once more to courtroom on trumped-up expenses.”
