The Department of State Services (DSS) has formally petitioned Meta Platforms Inc., owners of Facebook, demanding the immediate deactivation of the account belonging to activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore.
In a letter dated September 7, 2025, and signed by Uwem Davies, on behalf of the Director General of the DSS, the Service accused Sowore of using his verified Facebook page to “disparage and ridicule” the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The DSS said its monitoring team detected a post made by Sowore on August 26, 2025, in which he described the President as “a criminal” and accused him of lying about corruption in Nigeria while on a state visit to Brazil.
According to the Service, the statement has continued to circulate online, generating “widespread condemnation, political tension, and security concerns” across the country, in addition to “damaging Nigeria’s image before the international community.”
The DSS maintained that Sowore’s remarks amount to a violation of several Nigerian laws, including:
* Section 51 of the Criminal Code Act (publication of false information),
* Sections 19, 22, and 24 of the Cybercrimes Act 2025 (spreading fake news, offensive online content, hate speech), and
* Section 2(3) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 (incitement capable of threatening national security).
The security agency described Sowore’s post as “misleading information, online harassment, and hate speech,” insisting that it was a willful attempt to “discredit the President, embarrass the nation, and incite disunity.”
The letter, addressed to Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, demanded the removal of Sowore’s Facebook account and all related posts within 24 hours, warning that failure to comply would compel the Federal Government to take “far-reaching measures.”
