Freedom Of Expression Not Subject To SSS Fiat, Says Sowore’s Legal Team In Letter To X

Human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has written to X (formerly Twitter), opposing a request by the State Security Services (SSS) for the deletion of one of his posts and the deactivation of his account.

Mr Sowore’s legal team, led by human rights lawyer Tope Temokun, sent a strongly worded letter to X’s legal and policy team on Sunday. The letter, titled “RE: Request by the Nigerian Department of State Services (DSS) to Remove Content Posted by Omoyele Sowore,” described the SSS request as unlawful, unconstitutional, and without legal foundation.

According to Mr Temokun, the SSS has no authority to censor citizens or compel private platforms to delete content, insisting that only a competent court can order such action. He cited Section 39(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and previous court decisions, including Director, SSS v. Agbakoba and Arthur Nwankwo v. The State, which affirm that fundamental rights cannot be curtailed by executive fiat.

The legal team warned that complying with the SSS demand would implicate X in violating human rights standards, stressing that Sowore reserves the right to seek redress before national and international fora if his rights are breached.

Mr Sowore also condemned the SSS move, describing it as “a desecration of national dignity” and part of a broader effort to silence his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s government. In a Facebook post, he disclosed that the SSS had given X 24 hours to deactivate his account, noting that he would not be surprised if similar pressure was applied to his Facebook page.

He recalled previous harassment, including multiple arrests, detentions, passport seizures, and even being placed on a no-entry list at airports. Sowore alleged that both the Buhari and Tinubu administrations have used security agencies to persecute him for his activism, protests, and criticisms.

Earlier on Sunday, TheNigeriaLawyer reported that the SSS had written to X, citing a 25 August post where Sowore called President Tinubu a “criminal” and accused him of dishonesty over corruption. The SSS claimed the post amounted to hate speech, misinformation, and incitement, citing the Criminal Code Act, the Cybercrimes Act 2025, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 as legal grounds. The agency threatened “sweeping and across-the-board measures” if X failed to comply.

In its response, X confirmed it had received the SSS request and notified Sowore, in line with its transparency policy. The platform advised him to consult legal counsel or civil society groups and referred him to its legal resources and transparency reports.

Mr Temokun warned that the SSS attempt to bypass the courts and pressure a private platform sets a dangerous precedent that could affect any Nigerian journalist, activist, or citizen who challenges the government.

Sowore vowed not to delete the post, insisting that the SSS action is “despicable, lawless, and a blatant abuse of power.”