Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has issued a strongly worded response to the Department of State Services (DSS) after the agency allegedly delivered a letter to his lawyers in Abuja.
In the statement, Sowore described the DSS’s attempt to act on behalf of President Bola Tinubu as “fundamentally defective, unlawful, and insidious.” He traced the history of the DSS from its origins as the “E” Department in 1948 to its restructuring in 1986, accusing it of consistently serving as a tool for oppression under successive governments.
Sowore recounted multiple incidents of alleged harassment, abductions, and detentions by security operatives dating back to his days as Student Union President at the University of Lagos in 1993, through his NYSC service in 1996, and his high-profile detention in 2019 under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He accused the DSS of disregarding court orders, including judgments ordering the return of his confiscated properties. Citing constitutional and international provisions guaranteeing freedom of expression, Sowore argued that criticism of public officials cannot be criminalized, stressing that “only the person defamed can sue.”
He also referenced landmark judicial rulings such as Arthur Nwankwo v. State (1985) and Issa Konate v. Burkina Faso, which upheld press freedom and struck down sedition laws.
Sowore insisted that the DSS has a history of protecting “strong men” at the expense of democratic institutions, warning that Nigerians remain resolute in reclaiming their country from corrupt leaders.
“Freedom cometh by struggle. Aluta continua, victoria ascerta,” he declared.
