Sowore’s Lawyer Urges Meta to Reject DSS Ban Request, Citing Unconstitutionality
Human rights advocate Inibehe Effiong has strongly appealed to Meta Platforms Inc. to dismiss a request from Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) aimed at shutting down the Facebook page of prominent activist Omoyele Sowore. Effiong contends that the DSS’s move is not only illegal and unconstitutional but also represents a severe abuse of authority, suggesting that if President Bola Tinubu feels aggrieved by Sowore’s statements, the appropriate course of action is through the courts. This pivotal dispute highlights ongoing tensions between free speech advocacy and state control on digital platforms in the African tech landscape.
DSS Seeks Social Media Clampdown Over Corruption Allegations
The genesis of this controversy stems from an August 26 tweet by Omoyele Sowore, the proprietor of Sahara Reporters and a former presidential candidate. In his post, Sowore leveled accusations of corruption against President Tinubu during a state visit to Brazil. The DSS swiftly categorized Sowore’s tweet as “misleading information” and “hate speech,” indicating their intention to remove it from various social media outlets. Consequently, on September 7, 2025, the DSS dispatched an official letter to Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California. Signed by Uwem Davies on behalf of the DSS Director General, the correspondence explicitly demanded an “immediate and urgent ban” on Sowore’s Facebook account, directly referencing the contentious August tweet. Effiong’s counter-argument emphasizes that such a request by the DSS contravenes legal and constitutional provisions, asserting that the proper channel for addressing perceived defamation or offense should be through established judicial processes rather than a direct ban request to a tech giant.
This developing situation underscores a critical juncture for digital rights and freedom of expression in Nigeria. As Meta deliberates on the DSS’s unprecedented request, the global tech company faces pressure to uphold its commitments to free speech and human rights. Effiong’s robust intervention serves as a crucial reminder that democratic principles, including the right to express dissent, must be protected against undue government influence, setting a precedent for how similar cases might be handled across the African continent.
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