The Department of State Services (DSS) has defended the remand of activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, insisting that his detention was the outcome of judicial proceedings and not the result of any action taken by the agency.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, the Service also announced that the Director General had ordered an immediate investigation into allegations of misconduct involving DSS operatives during events at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
The agency said concerns had been raised by members of the public following scenes showing Sowore in an altercation with an official of the Nigerian Correctional Service and an apparent scuffle involving DSS personnel shortly after the court ordered his remand at Kuje Custodial Centre.
According to the DSS, the circumstances surrounding the incident, including Sowore’s decision to board a DSS vehicle instead of a correctional service vehicle after the court session, necessitated an internal review of the conduct of its personnel.
The Service explained that the legal proceedings against Sowore stemmed from social media posts he allegedly made on August 25, 2025, on his X and Facebook accounts in which he criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Rather than effect an arrest, the DSS said it issued a letter dated September 4, 2025, demanding a retraction within one week, noting that the approach was consistent with the current leadership’s preference for resolving disputes through dialogue and judicial interpretation rather than force.
The agency cited previous instances where it opted for legal remedies instead of arrests, including its suit challenging the legality of the shadow government initiative proposed by Pat Utomi. It also referenced cases involving reports alleging DSS invasions of the Lagos State House of Assembly and the National Assembly complex, stating that it merely sought public apologies from media organisations involved and withdrew legal actions after corrections were made.
The DSS further noted that two of its operatives had successfully pursued defamation suits against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) over allegations relating to an alleged invasion by security personnel.
According to the statement, charges were subsequently filed against Sowore under Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/481/2025, seeking judicial interpretation of whether his comments constituted cyberbullying or unlawful disparagement of the President.
The agency maintained that Sowore was initially granted bail on self-recognition without the requirement of a surety and stressed that it did not oppose his release.
It added that the circumstances leading to the revocation of his bail and subsequent remand were solely matters arising from court proceedings and not actions initiated by the DSS.
“The Service neither arrested nor opposed his bail,” the statement said, adding that it remains committed to professionalism, civility and adherence to the rule of law, even in the face of provocation.
Sowore was remanded in Kuje Custodial Centre on Monday following proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Details surrounding the revocation of his bail were not contained in the DSS statement.
