Amnesty Declares War on DSS: Rights Group Blasts Nigeria’s Secret Police Over ‘Desperate’ Move to Censor Anti-Tinubu Post on X

In a stern rebuke, Amnesty International has publicly condemned the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly pressuring social media giant X (formerly Twitter) to delete a post by activist Omoyele Sowore and deactivate his account. The human rights watchdog described the move as a “shocking” and “outrageous” attempt at censorship, calling on the secret police to immediately withdraw its demand.

The controversy began when Sowore, a prominent government critic, revealed on Sunday that X had officially notified him of a legal request from the DSS. The agency’s letter to the social media platform, which the DSS reportedly confirmed on its official page, demanded the immediate removal of an August 25 post that it claimed was “misleading information, hate speech and content capable of inciting violence” against President Bola Tinubu. The DSS warned that failure to comply within 24 hours would result in “far-reaching” measures by the Nigerian government.

Amnesty International wasted no time in condemning the action. In a statement shared on its X handle, the global organization asserted that the DSS’s demand had “no legal justification” under international human rights law and represented a clear violation of the Nigerian Constitution. “The DSS targeting of Sowore’s X account… is an abuse of power,” the statement read, urging X not to “yield to censorship demands of the Nigerian government.”

Sowore, who has a long history of run-ins with state security agencies, was defiant in his response. He vowed he would not delete the tweet, calling the DSS’s action “despicable” and “lawless.” His legal team has also written to X, arguing that the DSS’s request is “unlawful, unconstitutional, and without legal foundation.” X’s notice to Sowore simply acknowledged receipt of the request and, in line with its policy, informed him of his options, including seeking legal counsel.

This latest development underscores the perennial conflict between civil liberties and state authority in Nigeria. As the DSS attempts to leverage its power to control online discourse, human rights groups and activists are pushing back, arguing that such actions stifle freedom of expression and represent a dangerous crackdown on peaceful dissent.