Sowore’s lawyer urges Meta to reject DSS ban request

Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has urged Meta Platforms Inc. to disregard a request by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) for the closure of activist Omoyele Sowore’s Facebook page. Effiong argued that the move by the DSS was unlawful, unconstitutional, and a misuse of power, and that President Bola Tinubu should go to court if he was offended by Sowore’s utterance.

The row comes in the wake of an August 26 tweet by Sowore, owner of Sahara Reporters and ex-presidential candidate, who accused Tinubu of corruption during his trip to Brazil. The DSS described the tweet as “misleading information” and “hate speech” and did not waste time seeking to get it removed from social media platforms.

DSS takes action

On September 7, 2025, the DSS sent a letter to Meta’s Menlo Park, California, headquarters requesting an “immediate and urgent ban” of Sowore’s Facebook account. Signed by Uwem Davies on behalf of the Director General of the DSS, the letter referenced Sowore’s August post and accused Sowore of attempting to knowingly publish information that might cause violence and jeopardize national security.

The DSS cited a number of legislations to justify its move, some of which were Section 51 of the Criminal Code, sections 19, 22, and 24 of the Cybercrimes Act 2025, and Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022. It threatened “far-reaching, sweeping measures” if Meta failed to act within 24 hours. This followed a similar plea to X (formerly Twitter) the previous day, when the DSS had asked the platform to remove the same post in 24 hours.

Sowore refused, threatening he would not retract his statement. In retaliatory measure, the DSS brought the matter to Facebook, marking a rare attempt by Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency to push global tech giants into gagging an opposition voice. Sowore reacted boldly, accusing the DSS of being “lawless” and “incompetent.” He questioned the priorities of the agency and alluded to the recent killing of over 130 citizens, suggesting it reflected the service’s inability to secure lives and property.

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Effiong’s letter to Meta

In a point-blank rebuttal to the DSS request, Effiong addressed a letter to Meta on behalf of Sowore, asking the company to decline what he referred to as an illegal request. Effiong argued that the DSS was attempting to censor Sowore contrary to his constitutional freedom of expression.

Effiong said the cited laws by the DSS had nothing to do with the case and did not relate to Sowore’s post. He further said the post under contention did not violate Meta’s Community Standards and thus ought to stay online.

He added that President Tinubu himself did not bring any suit against Sowore, stating: “If he feels that he has a reputation capable of being defamed, Mr. Tinubu ought to seek legal redress in court and put his character to the test.”

Effiong faulted the DSS for crossing its constitutional mandate of safeguarding the nation’s national security by attempting to defend the president’s personal reputation.

“It is the pinnacle of impunity for an establishment that was instituted by statute to avail the internal security of Nigeria to sycophantically utilize its instrumentality for the personal enrichment of a politician and public office holder who draws salaries from public coffers,” he added.

The lawyer warned Meta that obeying the DSS demand would set a precedent of censorship in Nigeria and lead to further stifling of dissent by governments. He urged the company to maintain its commitment to freedom of expression and defy political pressure.

Broader implications for digital freedom

The battle with Sowore, the DSS, and Meta is representative of broader battles over online discourse in Nigeria. As the internet and social media are at the center of political discourse, government institutions have increasingly clashed with activists and opposition figures on online content.

Sowore has led these battles for years. The critic of the successive governments, he has previously been arrested by security agents and has used cyberspace as a tool to spread his message to supporters. His encounter with the DSS points to how platforms like Facebook and X have become pivotal battlefields for political wars.

For Meta, the case represents a challenge of how far global tech companies will go in resisting government demands to censor user expression. Taking the DSS request on board could expose the company to accusations of enabling censorship, while denying it would increase tensions with Nigerian authorities. Meta has thus far not publicly commented. The company’s response will be watched closely because it will determine whether African governments interact with social media giants in the future.

For now, Sowore’s lawyers have positioned the case as one not only about him, but about the protection of room for disagreement within Nigeria’s democracy. Balancing regulation, security, and free speech continues unresolved in Nigeria but is brought into the foreground by this case.