Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has formally petitioned Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, urging the tech giant to reject a deactivation request from Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS). The DSS had sought the removal of activist Omoyele Sowore’s account after he posted critical remarks about President Tinubu, accusing him of lying about corruption during a Brazil visit.
Effiong characterized the DSS demand, delivered on September 7, as an unconstitutional attempt to stifle dissent. Describing it as “egregious” and politically motivated, he urged Meta to remain firm and noted that the proper channel for addressing grievances against Sowore should be civil court, not state security intervention.
Sowore himself lambasted the DSS, calling them “lawless” and accusing the agency of prioritizing political optics over pressing national security concerns—highlighting, among others, the recent loss of over 130 lives in nationwide violence.
This digital showdown mirrors earlier tensions in Nigeria over online expression and content regulation. Recall how the federal government’s draft to tax content creators triggered backlash from digital communities, who viewed it as a potential clampdown on creative freedom. Just as that effort stoked fiery debate, the Sowore-Meta-DSS saga now raises urgent concerns about freedom of speech, the misuse of surveillance powers, and the responsibilities of private tech platforms caught between state pressure and human rights obligations.
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