The Department of State Security Services (DSS) has formally requested that X Corp. ban or deactivate the account of activist and politician Omoyele Sowore, alleging that a recent post by him constitutes a threat to national security and violates Nigerian law.
In a letter sent to the Chairman and CEO of X Corp. at their Bastrop County, Texas, headquarters, the DSS claimed that a tweet from Sowore’s verified account, @YeleSowore, on August 25, 2025, was “disparaging and ridiculing” to President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The tweet in question, which was posted at 11:38 PM local time, reads: “This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”
According to the DSS’s communication, the post is “misleading,” “incitement to violence,” and “hate speech” that could cause “serious harm.”
They asserts that the tweet has already led to widespread condemnation and protests by the President’s supporters, creating political tension and posing a threat to the country’s national security.
The letter also cites several Nigerian laws that it claims the tweet violates, including provisions from the Criminal Code Act, the Cyber Crimes Act of 2025, and the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.
The DSS argues that these laws prohibit the publication of false information, the spread of fake news, and the instigation of hatred, with both the author and the platform being held liable.
They contends that the tweet is an act of “domestic terrorism” that aims to “discredit/disparage the President… within the Comity of Nations to damage the image of Nigeria.” The letter demands the “immediate and urgent ban/deactivation” of Sowore’s X account.
As at the time of this report, X Corp. has not publicly commented on the Nigerian government’s request.
