Sowore Rejects DSS Letter, Says Agency Acting as Tinubu’s “Unlawful Proxy”

Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has strongly rejected a letter from the Department of State Services (DSS) directing him to retract his online posts critical of President Bola Tinubu…  .Read ..Full.. Article.. .

The DSS, in a letter delivered to Sowore’s legal team in Abuja, asked the activist to delete what it described as “criminal, false, and malicious” publications on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. The agency claimed the posts amounted to defamatory attacks on the President.

But in his written response dated September 12, 2025, Sowore dismissed the DSS demand as “unlawful, insidious, and fundamentally defective.” He accused the security agency of acting outside its constitutional mandate by serving as “an unlawful proxy” for President Tinubu.

Tracing his long history of confrontations with security agencies, Sowore recalled his abductions and detentions dating back to his student union days in 1993, through his arrest during the Buhari administration in 2019. He said the DSS had repeatedly violated court orders, citing the invasion of a Federal High Court in Abuja during his trial, and the agency’s continued refusal to release his confiscated property despite court rulings.

The activist argued that the DSS had no legal authority to demand a retraction on behalf of the President, noting that defamation is a civil matter and can only be pursued by the individual concerned. He pointed to constitutional provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression, as well as African Charter and international human rights rulings, which protect criticism of public officials.

Quoting past judicial precedents, including the Court of Appeal’s 1985 ruling in Arthur Nwankwo v. State, Sowore said attempts to revive sedition-style repression were unconstitutional. “Criticism is indispensable in a democracy. Freedom of speech includes the right to say what those in power find uncomfortable,” he declared.

Sowore insisted that his stance stemmed from a lifelong commitment to accountability and good governance, not partisan politics. “The determination of the Nigerian people to reclaim their country from thieves in power is unwavering, and..  Read . .More —