Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has rejected the Department of State Services’ (DSS) demand that he retract a social media post criticizing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Sowore, in a strongly worded response, said the DSS had no authority to dictate how he expresses dissent.
“You have no business telling me how to criticise the President. But, knowing the nature of your service, it is clear you have not learnt your lessons. Let me state it clearly once again: the determination of the Nigerian people to reclaim their country from thieves in power is unwavering. And it shall be achieved. Freedom cometh by struggle. Aluta continua, victoria ascerta,” Sowore declared.
In a letter addressed to the DSS Director General, Sowore described the request as unlawful, unconstitutional, and an attempt by the agency to act as a proxy for the president.
He also recalled his long history with the DSS, citing arrests in 1993, 1996, and 2019, including his detention on allegations of treason and money laundering, as well as the infamous invasion of a Federal High Court during his trial.
According to him, the DSS has consistently acted “bullishly, illegally and unlawfully” under successive governments, with no remorse for rights violations spanning decades.
Quoting constitutional provisions and African human rights treaties, Sowore argued that freedom of speech protects citizens’ right to criticize public officials, adding that defamation is a personal issue and cannot be pursued by the DSS on Tinubu’s behalf.
He reaffirmed that his criticism of the government aligns with his lifelong activism and political convictions, stressing that Nigerians remain determined to reclaim the country from “thieves in power.”
