Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, has declared that he will not take down his social media post on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite a request from Department of State Services (DSS).
Gatekeepers News reports that DSS had earlier asked X to delete Sowore’s post and deactivate his verified account, warning that the content could incite unrest and endanger national security.
In a post shared on Sunday, Sowore revealed that X had officially contacted him about the DSS letter.
He wrote, “This morning, X officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the DSS over my tweet on Tinubu.”
“One option I will not be taking is deleting that tweet. Thank you, X.”
Alongside his statement, Sowore posted a notice from X confirming that the DSS had indeed filed a request, alleging that his content violated Nigerian law.
The DSS had given the platform 24 hours to remove the tweet and deactivate his account or face far-reaching measures by the federal government.
However, X clarified that it had not acted on the request. The platform emphasised its policy of informing users whenever legal demands are made regarding their content.
It said, “As X strongly believes in defending and respecting the voice of our users, it is our policy to notify our users if we receive a legal request from an authorized entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account.”
“We understand that receiving this type of notice can be an unsettling experience. While X is not able to provide legal advice, we want you to have an opportunity to evaluate the request and, if you wish, take appropriate action to protect your interests.”
“This may include seeking legal counsel and challenging the request in court, contacting relevant civil society organizations, voluntarily deleting the content (if applicable), or finding some other resolution.”
