Human rights activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore has vowed not to delete a tweet critical of President Bola Tinubu, despite a request from Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) to X (formerly Twitter) demanding its removal.
In a statement posted on his X account on Sunday, Sowore revealed that the social media platform officially contacted him on Saturday morning regarding a “despicable threat letter” it received from the DSS over his recent tweet about Tinubu.
He, however, made it clear that he would not comply with the agency’s demand.
“This morning, X (formerly Twitter) officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my Tweet on Tinubu. One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X,” Sowore stated.
In the email sent to him by X, the company confirmed that it had received a request from the DSS alleging that Sowore’s tweet violated Nigerian laws. However, the platform stated that no action had been taken against the content as of the time of notification.
“Hello @YeleSowore,
In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a request from the Department of State Services regarding your X account, @YeleSowore, that claims the following content violates the law(s) of Nigeria.
We have not taken any action on the reported content at this time as a result of this request,” the platform said in its notification.
X further explained that its policy is to notify users whenever it receives a legal request from any authorised entity, including government agencies, seeking the removal of content. The platform also reassured Sowore that he had the right to evaluate the request and seek legal advice if necessary.
While the DSS has not publicly commented on the matter, Sowore’s refusal to delete the tweet is expected to intensify tensions between the Nigerian government and the outspoken activist, who has consistently criticised the administration.
