1 month ago
22
The Department of State Services (DSS), has issued a one-week ultimatum to activistic and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore to retract what it described arsenic a “false, malicious, and inciting” societal media station astir President Bola Tinubu.
The DSS, successful a missive dated September 7, 2025, accused Sowore of making “criminal and derogatory” remarks against the President successful a station connected X (formerly Twitter) connected August 26, 2025.
DSS warned that nonaccomplishment to comply with its demands would unit it to “explore each lawful means” to support nationalist information and nationalist order.
Sowore, a erstwhile statesmanlike campaigner nether the African Action Congress (AAC) and pro-democracy activist, had successful the station described Tinubu arsenic a “criminal,” accusing him of lying to Nigerians aft the President reportedly claimed successful Brazil, that corruption nary longer existed nether his administration.
The DSS, done its Director of Legal Services, Uwem Davies, said the remarks had sparked choler among citizens and could “incite nationalist disturbance, disunity, and adjacent insurrection.”
“Your prime of words successful the statement of the President are false, malicious, and susceptible of inciting nationalist disturbance, disunity, and breakdown of instrumentality and order,” the DSS said successful the missive addressed to Sowore.
“These statements are to accidental the slightest susceptible of causing insurrection, arsenic they are odious, repugnant, derogatory, and uncomplimentary towards a idiosyncratic occupying the highest bureau of this country,” the concealed constabulary bureau added successful the letter.
The information bureau directed Sowore to retract the station instantly utilizing the aforesaid X level and with the aforesaid prominence arsenic the archetypal post.
It further asked him to people a nationalist apology successful astatine slightest 2 wide work nationalist newspapers and 2 tv stations with nationalist coverage.
The Commission further ordered Sowore to nonstop a ceremonial practice to its office astatine No. 1, Maitama Avenue, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, oregon via its authoritative email addresses wrong 1 week of receiving the letter.
“Make an contiguous and unequivocal retraction of the mendacious and repugnant station done the aforesaid level and with the aforesaid prominence arsenic the archetypal post; people a nationalist apology successful astatine slightest 2 nationalist dailies and 2 tv stations with nationalist spread; and nonstop your practice wrong 1 week of receipt of this letter,” the missive work successful part.
The DSS besides copied the United States Embassy successful Abuja, suggesting the substance had drawn the attraction of diplomatic circles, fixed Sowore’s dual residency successful Nigeria and the United States.
The concealed Service reminded Sowore, who has consistently criticised successive Nigerian governments, that individuals seeking to play starring roles successful the country’s antiauthoritarian abstraction indispensable workout restraint and a consciousness of work successful some code and action.
“Persons of your presumption who are campaigning to pb this state arsenic captious stakeholders of ideology indispensable beryllium of precocious integrity and truthful should workout restraint and work successful their code arsenic good arsenic action.
“Such individuals and organisations must, successful addition, tailor their comments towards promoting peace, security, and bully governance successful the country,” the DSS added.
The bureau said its law mandate includes ensuring that Nigerians were not misled by mendacious propaganda and warned that it would not hesitate to instrumentality indispensable steps if Sowore failed to comply.
“The DSS is simply a information quality organisation that has its mandate, inter alia, to guarantee that Nigerians are not deceived with mendacious propaganda.
“Consequently, If you neglect to close this mendacious narrative, the Service shall, without further recourse to you, initiate measures it deems astir due wrong the ambit of the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” it deed.
English (US) ·