Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has berated the Department of State Services (DSS) for asking X (formerly Twitter) to deactivate his verified account.
The Sahara Reporters publisher described the move as another attempt by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to muzzle dissenting voices.
In a post on Sunday, Sowore said he was not surprised by the “ridiculously crafted” letter the DSS sent to X, demanding his account be taken down within 24 hours.
“I woke up to yet another act of national disgrace, an assault on institutions, and on common sense,” Sowore wrote.
He alleged that the request to suspend his account was in line with the regime’s pattern of harassment, recalling that last week protesters staged demonstrations at the Federal High Court and the Ministry of Justice, urging the DSS to arrest him.
Sowore listed several incidents where he claimed the authorities had persecuted him, including his arrest during the #EndBadGovernance protest, a travel ban allegedly imposed by the Nigerian Immigration Service, seizure of his passport, and charges he described as trumped-up.
The activist also alleged that he was attacked in custody.
He said the police broke into his cell and injured him, before later accusing him of terrorism financing in court.
“To now export this disgrace to Twitter in the US shows how far Nigeria has sunk into the hands of its most incompetent and dysfunctional citizens,” he said.
Sowore likened the DSS’s action to his ordeal under former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying such tactics failed in the past and would not succeed now.
He vowed to sustain his activism regardless of the government’s attempts to shut down his platforms.
AFRIPOST had reported that the DSS wrote to X Corp, seeking the removal of a post and suspension of the account belonging to Sowore.
