Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has petitioned Meta Platforms Inc., urging the tech giant to reject a request by Nigeria’s Department of State Services, DSS, to deactivate the Facebook account of activist Omoyele Sowore.
In the letter addressed to Meta on Monday, Effiong described the DSS demand as unlawful, unconstitutional, and a threat to the right to freedom of expression.
The petition comes after DSS wrote to social media giants, Meta and X incorporated, demanding the deactivation of Sowore’s social media handles.
The State agency had accused the activist of posting ‘unsavoury’ things about the Nigerian President, maligning his character.
However, the lawyer argued that the laws cited by the DSS in its petition were irrelevant and that Sowore’s post did not breach Meta’s Community Standards.
“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 said.
Effiong accused the DSS of acting as though it were representing President Bola Tinubu, stating that the President had not initiated any legal action against Sowore.
He maintained that if Tinubu felt aggrieved by any publication, he should seek redress in court rather than use security agencies to intimidate critics.
The lawyer urged Meta to resist what he called an “egregious effort” by the DSS to undermine Nigeria’s democracy and suppress dissenting voices.
He warned that complying with the agency’s request would set a dangerous precedent and embolden further government clampdowns on free expression.
See his letter below
Following the unlawful demand made to Facebook owned by Meta Platforms Inc. by the State Security Service (SSS), which also describes itself as the Department of State Services (DSS), for the Facebook account of Mr. Omoyele Sowore to be banned or be deactivated, we have written to Meta in response to demand that the request be denied.
The autocratic demand by the SSS is not only legally unfounded, it poses serious danger to the sacrosanct and the constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression.
In our letter to Meta, we have demonstrated that the laws cited by the SSS are inapplicable and irrelevant.
We have also shown that the post referenced by the SSS does not violate Meta’s Community Standards.
As stated in our letter, “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 aggrandizement 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.
“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.”
