“This Is Censorship”: Amnesty Condemns DSS for Targeting Sowore’s Post

September 7, 2025 admin 0 Comments

The global rights group says pressuring X to delete anti-Tinubu content violates Nigeria’s constitution and international treaties.

Global human rights watchdog, Amnesty International, has condemned the Department of State Services (DSS) for attempting to compel X (formerly Twitter) to delete a post by Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore. The organisation described the move as an unlawful attempt at censorship and a violation of free speech.

Omoyele Sowore, who contested the 2023 presidential elections under the African Action Congress (AAC), has long been an outspoken critic of successive Nigerian governments.

Recently, Sowore posted a critical message about President Bola Tinubu on his X handle, describing him in unflattering terms over a comment the president made in Brazil about corruption.

In response, the DSS accused Sowore’s post of being dangerous to national security, claiming it could incite unrest and violated provisions of the Cyber Crimes Act and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act. The agency formally wrote to X, demanding that the post be taken down and even issued a 24-hour ultimatum.

Sowore, however, refused to comply. Instead, he revealed X’s notification of the DSS request to his followers and declared he would not delete the tweet under any circumstances.

On Sunday, Amnesty International Nigeria issued a strongly worded statement on its official X handle, describing the DSS demand as “shocking” and a blatant violation of rights.

According to Amnesty:

The DSS request has no legal basis under Nigerian or international human rights law.
It undermines rights guaranteed by the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
It breaches Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both of which Nigeria has ratified.

The organisation warned that targeting activists’ social media accounts is an abuse of power and a clear attempt to silence dissent.

Amnesty urged the DSS to immediately withdraw its request to X and refrain from further attempts to muzzle critics online.

The group stressed that freedom of expression is not only a constitutional right but also a cornerstone of democratic governance.

“Nigerian authorities must refrain from violating human rights online, including the rights to freedom of expression and privacy, and must fulfil their constitutional and international obligations,” Amnesty said.

Amnesty also directed part of its message at X, warning the platform against yielding to censorship pressures from the Nigerian government.

The organisation insisted that X has a duty to:

Protect the voices of activists and whistleblowers.
Uphold its global transparency policy, which requires it to notify users of government requests.
Resist political interference that threatens freedom of expression worldwide.

So far, X has confirmed receiving the DSS letter but stated that it has not taken action on the reported content, pending further review. The platform also informed Sowore of the request, allowing him to decide how to respond.

Analysts say the incident raises critical questions about the balance between national security and free expression in Nigeria.

Should state security agencies have the power to determine what can or cannot be said online?
What precedent does this set for other activists, journalists, or ordinary citizens using social media as a tool for accountability?
How will global platforms like X respond when government requests conflict with international human rights standards?

For Amnesty, the answers are clear: censorship is unacceptable, and human rights must come first. But for Nigeria’s security establishment, the Sowore post highlights the tension between controlling public discourse and allowing open dissent in a fragile democracy.

⚖️ Amnesty Condemns DSS: Calls request “outrageous” and unlawful.
📢 Freedom of Expression: Sowore’s right to speak out is protected under Nigerian and international law.
🌍 Global Concern: Nigeria risks damaging its human rights reputation.
🛑 Warning to X: Amnesty urges the platform to resist censorship demands.

👉 The Sowore–DSS face-off has become more than a dispute over a single post. It is now a litmus test for Nigeria’s commitment to democratic freedoms — and a reminder that the fight for free expression remains as urgent as ever.