The Department of State Services (DSS) has issued a one-week ultimatum to human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, demanding that he retracts a social media post it described as “false, malicious, and inciting” against President Bola Tinubu.
In a letter dated September 7, the DSS accused Sowore of making criminal and derogatory remarks in an August 26 post on X (formerly Twitter), where he described Tinubu as a “criminal” and alleged that the President lied to Nigerians by claiming corruption no longer exists under his administration.
According to the service, the remarks have generated public anger and could “incite disturbance, disunity, and even insurrection.” The letter signed by the Director of Legal Services, Uwem Davies, warned that failure to comply with its demand would compel the DSS to “explore all lawful means” to safeguard national security and public order.
Sowore, who is the convener of the #RevolutionNow protest and leader of the African Action Congress (AAC), has long been known for his strong criticisms of successive governments.
The latest confrontation with the DSS adds to the activist’s history of clashes with security agencies over his stance on governance and democracy in Nigeria.