A civil right group Amnesty International in Nigeria has condemned a demand by the Department of State Services (DSS) for social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to remove a post by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, calling it an “unlawful attempt to silence” critical voices.
In a statement signed by Isa Sanusi, Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, the organization said the demand was a “brazen attempt to silence critical voices and generate a climate of fear on Nigeria’s social media space.”
Sanusi described the DSS targeting of Sowore’s account as “outrageous” and “without any legal justification,” citing violations of both Nigeria’s constitution and international human rights treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
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“The DSS must immediately withdraw its shocking demand,” Sanusi said. “Nigerian authorities must refrain from violating human rights online, including the rights to freedom of expression and privacy, and fulfil their constitutional and international obligations.”
Amnesty International also urged X not to comply with the Nigerian government’s censorship demands. “The platform must do all in its power to protect freedom of expression,” Sanusi added.