Sowore's Lawyer Effiong Writes Meta To Ignore DSS Call On Facebook Ban, Says Tinubu Should Seek Redress In Court

Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has urged Meta Platforms Inc. to disregard a request from the Department of State Services (DSS) seeking the ban or deactivation of activist, Omoyele Sowore’s Facebook account.

In a letter addressed to Meta, Effiong described the DSS action as unlawful, mischievous, and a threat to Nigeria’s democracy. 

He noted that President Bola Tinubu, whom the DSS was allegedly protecting, had not initiated any legal action against Sowore.

Effiong argued that if the President believes he has a reputation capable of being defamed, he should seek redress in court and put his character to the test.

The lawyer said it is the height of impunity for an agency established by law to ensure Nigeria’s internal security to sycophantically deploy its powers for the personal aggrandisement of a politician and public officeholder who is paid with public funds.

Effiong maintained that the DSS’s demand was not only “legally unfounded” but also posed “serious danger to the constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression.” 

He further explained that the legal provisions cited by the DSS were irrelevant and inapplicable, adding that Sowore’s posts did not breach Meta’s Community Standards.

According to him, the secret police’s request was nothing more than “an egregious effort to massage the ego of the Nigerian President,” and warned that granting it would embolden the government to further suppress dissenting voices.

He passionately urged Meta to reject the DSS demand for Sowore’s account to be banned or deactivated.

He noted that acquiescing to such unlawful and draconian demands would set a dangerous precedent and undermine Nigeria’s democratic journey.

Effiong called on Meta to stand firm in defence of free expression, a value he said the company should consistently uphold.

The statement read, "We are Solicitors to MR. OMOYELE SOWORE (our Client), a prominent Nigerian human rights activist, pro-democracy crusader and two-time presidential candidate and National Chairman of the African Action Congress (a registered political party in Nigeria), and we have his express instructions to write this letter.

"Our attention has been brought to the letter dated 7th September, 2025 and written by the Nigerian State Security Service (SSS), demanding the immediate and urgent ban/deactivation of the Facebook account owned by our Client "through his Facebook page, Omoyele Sowore and his personalized link on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/OSowore or any other account maintained by him."

"May we state that the allegations of "misleading information and willful intention to further an ideology capable of serious harm; incitement to violence; cybercrime; hate speech to discredit/disparage the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and cause serious threat to national security of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" made by the SSS are unfounded and calculated to silence our Client's criticism of the government."

Effiong Stated, "The demand by the SSS, if granted, will constitute a violation of our Client's right to freedom of expression, guaranteed under domestic laws and international human rights instruments and treaties to which Nigeria is a signatory.

"Though subject to certain legal restrictions, Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of expression, including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference. It also guarantees the right to establish, own and operate any medium (including Facebook) for the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions. Similarly, Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act (the African Charter) guarantees individuals the right to receive information and to express and disseminate their opinions within the law.

"Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) establishes the fundamental right to freedom of expression, while Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 also provides that everyone has the right to freedom of opinions and expression; and that this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

"We also know for a fact that Meta's policies recognise that public figures like our Client have a right to express opinions even if they are controversial or unpopular.

"We also acknowledge that Meta has policies designed to address harmful statements through its community standards, and it is not the practice of Meta Platforms Inc. to stifle freedom of expression. There is nothing in our Client's post that is dehumanizing, nor does the post incite violence, harassment, intimidation or related concepts."

According to the human rights lawyer, "Facebook Community Standards define threats of violence as:"Statements or visuals representing an intention, aspiration, or call for violence against a target, and threats can be expressed in various types of statements, such as statements of intent, calls for action, advocacy, expressions of hope, aspirational statements and conditional statements."

"Our Client is a patriotic citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and he made the said post, expressing his opinion about the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who is a public figure. Meta Community Standards allow for critical commentaries about public figures.

"It is imperative to state that the President of Nigeria, Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom the SSS is unlawfully, wrongfully and mischievously holding brief for, has not initiated any legal action against our client.

"If he feels that he has a reputation capable of being defamed, Mr. Tinubu ought to seek legal redress in court and put his character to the test. It is the height of impunity for an agency established by law to ensure the internal security of Nigeria to sycophantically deploy its instrumentality for the personal aggrandisement of a politician and a public office holder who is paid with public funds.

"We enjoin Meta to see the sinister demand by the SSS for what it truly is: an egregious effort to massage the ego of the Nigerian President; an effort predicated on grounds that are legally unfounded in an attempt to undermine Nigeria's democratic journey and foist tyranny on the country.

He added, "In view of the foregoing, we passionately urge Meta Platforms Inc. to reject the demand made by the SSS for the ban/deactivation of our Client's Facebook account(s), as it is an attempt by the SSS to censor our Client's voice. We urge Meta to uphold the right to freedom of expression, which is part of the values Meta should be associated with.

"Acquiescing to the unlawful and draconian demands of the SSS will set a dangerous precedent and also embolden the government to further clamp down on dissenting voices."