Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services, DSS has dissociated itself from the ordeal of the presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore who was sent to Kuje prison, Abuja on Monday over failure to attend the previous court hearing on the suit instituted against him for allegedly cyberbullying President Bola Tinubu.
The DSS is prosecuting Sowore for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts
However, the DSS has come under fire over the remand of Sowore and how he the presidential candidate was subsequently handled on his way to the prison by the DSS operatives.
DSS, in a statement by Favour Dozie, its Deputy Director, Public Relations and Strategic Communications, National Headquarters on Tuesday evening said it acknowledged the concerns of the public over the events leading to the remand of Sowore in Kuje Prison.
But it also noted that after the ‘seeming altercation’ with its operatives and prison service officials, the presidential candidate opted for its vehicle to take him to Kuje prison.
However, Dozie said in the statement that the Director General of DSS, Tosin Ajayi, has ordered an immediate investigation into the alleged conduct of Service operatives involved in the incident.
But while absolving itself from the ongoing ordeal of Sowore, the DSS said the presidential candidate was taken to court after he failed to retract the statement he made on 25th August 2025, on his personal X and Facebook handles against President Tinubu.
The Service said rather than move to immediately arrest his for prosecution, it asked Sowore to retract his statement within one week in a letter dated 4th September 2025, a move which, according to it, was in line with the practice of the current DG-DSS to resolve such issues without use of force, failure to which it may resort to judicial interpretation.
DSS cited examples of how it has used the approach to handle similar cases in the past.
“Specifically, in the case of Prof. Pat Utomi’s Shadow Government, the Service sought a judicial explanation even without any arrest or invitation. The Federal High Court thereafter declared the Shadow Government unconstitutional.
“Also, the false publications on Lagos State House of Assembly invasion by Service operatives and a similar report by Order Paper, alleging a barricade of the National Assembly Complex, the Service demanded a public apology rather than apprehend anyone in both instances. It is on record that, DSS withdrew all charges immediately after the defaulting media houses made a redress.
“In the same vein, two Service operatives sought judicial redress and won their cases against SERAP for defamation and libel on their false alarm of an invasion by the said operatives. In this case also, the Court delivered judgment in favour of the said operatives. In all these, the Service maintained its hygiene and adherence to rule of law,” said the DSS.
The Service therefor added that it filed charges against Sowore for contravening section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Amendment Act, 2024 seeking a judicial interpretation of his right or otherwise to disparage and cyberbully the President after he failed to retract his statement.
It also noted that Sowore was granted bail on self-recognition even without a surety at the commencement of the trial.
DSS said it did not oppose the bail application and Sowore applauded the development. “From the foregoing, it is clear the issues that led to his bail revocation and subsequent remand were entirely premised on the court processes, as the Service neither arrested nor opposed his bail. DSS therefore assures of sustained priority to professionalism, with emphasis on civility in its operations, even at the face of provocation,” it concluded in the statement.
Meanwhile, Sowore is expected back in court today for hearing of the application he filed against revocation of his bail.