1 month ago
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By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA – The Department of State Services (DSS) has ordered absorption person and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, to retract and apologise for describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arsenic a ‘criminal’ successful a societal media post, informing that nonaccomplishment to comply would pull consequences wrong the ambit of Nigerian law.
In a missive dated 7 September 2025 and signed by Uwem Davies connected behalf of the Director-General of the DSS, the Service described Sowore’s remark arsenic false, malicious and susceptible of inciting nationalist disturbance, disunity and a breakdown of instrumentality and order.
The DSS was reacting to Sowore’s station connected X (formerly Twitter), made connected 26 August 2025 astatine 11:38 p.m., successful which helium wrote: “This transgression really went to Brazil to authorities that determination is NO MORE corruption nether his authorities successful Nigeria. What audacity to prevarication shamelessly!”
According to the letter, “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.
“To enactment this successful due perspective, these statements are to accidental the slightest susceptible of causing insurrection, arsenic they are precise odious, repugnant, derogatory and uncomplimentary towards a idiosyncratic occupying the highest bureau of this country.”
The Service said Sowore’s remarks lowered the estimation of President Tinubu earlier Nigerians and the planetary community, adding that the station had angered galore citizens, peculiarly the President’s supporters who were already becoming ‘restive’.
The DSS directed Sowore to contented an contiguous retraction of the station connected the aforesaid level with adjacent prominence, people a nationalist apology successful astatine slightest 2 nationalist newspapers and 2 tv stations with nationwide coverage, and nonstop his practice wrong 1 week to the DSS Headquarters successful Abuja oregon via its authoritative email.
The missive further stated, “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, information and bully governance successful the country.”
Warning that it would not hesitate to act, the DSS said, “Take announcement that the DSS is simply a Security Intelligence Organisation that has its mandate, inter alia, to guarantee that Nigerians are not deceived with mendacious propaganda, arsenic such, the Service shall research each lawful means to execute this.
“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.”
The DSS besides copied the United States Embassy successful Abuja successful its correspondence to Sowore, highlighting the diplomatic sensitivity of the matter.
The station Retract ‘criminal’ remark connected Tinubu oregon look consequences, DSS tells Sowore appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.
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