…Warns against human rights violations

Global rights watchdog, Amnesty International (AI), has condemned what it described as a brazen attempt by the Department of State Services (DSS) to silence dissenting voices after the secret police allegedly demanded that X (formerly Twitter) take down a post by human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, critical of President Bola Tinubu.

According to Amnesty International, X had already notified Sowore of the request, which it said amounted to censorship and an effort to instill fear in Nigeria’s online civic space.

“The DSS targeting of Sowore’s X account is being done without any legal justification, as recognized under international human rights law,” Amnesty International wrote in a post on X.

The group stressed that the demand violates Nigeria’s obligations under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, all of which guarantee freedom of expression and privacy.

Amnesty International called on Nigerian authorities to immediately withdraw the demand and stop infringing on digital rights.

“Nigerian authorities must refrain from violating human rights online, including the rights to freedom of expression and privacy, and must fulfill their constitutional and international obligations,” it said.

The organization also urged X not to yield to government pressure, emphasizing the platform’s responsibility to safeguard activists’ voices and protect free expression. (Vanguard)