Amnesty International Nigeria has strongly criticised what it described as a renewed and desperate attempt by the Nigerian authorities to silence human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore.
In a statement on Wednesday, the rights organisation said the Department of State Services (DSS) had made an “appalling demand” for the deactivation of Sowore’s X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts. It added that plans to drag him before the courts once again on what it called “bogus charges” represented a clear attempt at censorship and an abuse of state power.
Amnesty warned that the ongoing harassment of Sowore underscored a troubling pattern of repression in Nigeria, where critics of the government are routinely targeted for their online and offline activism.
“The targeting of Sowore’s social media activity is being carried out without any legal justification recognised under international human rights law,” the group said. “It violates Nigeria’s obligations under the 1999 Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Nigeria has ratified.”
The organisation maintained that it was not within the power of any government to determine what citizens could or could not say, adding that the authorities’ campaign of harassment, intimidation, and prosecution over social media use was creating a climate of fear.
“For more than a decade, Nigerian authorities have used tactics of harassment and intimidation to stifle dissent, often resulting in unlawful detentions, unfair trials, and imprisonment,” Amnesty said. “The harassment facing Omoyele Sowore is not new—it is a tactic governments across the world employ to avoid accountability.”
Amnesty called on the Nigerian government to immediately end its persecution of Sowore and to respect fundamental rights, including freedom of expression and privacy, both online and offline.
“The authorities must refrain from further violating human rights and instead uphold their constitutional and international obligations,” the group added.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate and publisher of Sahara Reporters, has faced multiple arrests and prosecutions since 2019 when he was first detained by the DSS for convening the #RevolutionNow protests. Rights groups have consistently accused the Nigerian government of using the security agencies and the courts to muzzle his voice and discourage dissent.
