LAGOS: The legal team representing Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, has asked X (formerly Twitter) to reject a request by Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) to remove a post critical of President Bola Tinubu.
In a letter to the social media platform, Tope Temokun Chambers described the DSS directive as unlawful, unconstitutional and without legal foundation.
The DSS had earlier written to X, alleging that Sowore’s post could incite violence and threaten national security, and further requested the suspension of his verified account.
Sowore disclosed on Sunday that X officially notified him of the agency’s demand. His lawyers countered by citing section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and several judicial precedents, stressing that only a competent court has the authority to restrict free expression.
“The DSS is not a court of law and cannot arrogate such powers to itself,” the letter stated, accusing the Nigerian government of a consistent pattern of repression” against Sowore since his 2019 arrests and ongoing trials.
The chambers also highlighted recent incidents, including Sowore being placed on a no-entry list during the #EnbadGovernance protests and facing fresh charges despite his passport being held by the court.
They warned X of international consequences, pointing out that Sowore is a U.S. permanent resident. “To comply with the DSS request would make X complicit in violating Nigerian and international human rights standards, the letter read.
The lawyers concluded by demanding that X disregard the directive, warning that compliance would amount to aiding state repression.
Our client reserves the right to seek redress before competent national and international fora should any action be taken that violates his rights, the chambers added.
