Nigeria’s secret police, the State Security Service (SSS), has written to Meta, demanding the deactivation of activist Omoyele Sowore’s Facebook page for criticising President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Sowore shared a copy of the letter on his Facebook page on Monday, describing the secret police as “incompetent and idle.”

“Lawless DSS, too idle and incompetent to secure Nigeria, where over 130 citizens were killed just yesterday, has now written to Facebook, begging them to delete content they find ‘offensive’ to their equally idle, tired, and criminal Commander-in-Chief, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the activist wrote on his verified page.

In the letter dated September 7 and addressed to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the SSS accused Mr Sowore of publishing “false” and “defamatory” statements capable of inciting violence and threatening Nigeria’s national security.

The secret police specifically cited a post by the Sahara Reporters founder on August 26, in which he called Mr Tinubu “a criminal” and ridiculed his anti-corruption claims made in Brazil.

“The said post is still in circulation and has attracted widespread condemnation by majority of Nigerians and is causing both online and offline tension across the country,” the letter, signed by Uwem Davies on behalf of the director-general of the SSS, read in part.

The SSS further threatened “far-reaching, sweeping, and across-the-board measures” against Meta if the platform fails to delete Mr Sowore’s page within 24 hours. It claimed the activist’s statements fell under sections of Nigeria’s criminal code, cybercrime law, and terrorism legislation.

In a fiery response to the SSS’ latest petition, Mr Sowore dismissed its move as another act of political persecution.

He urged Nigerians to resist what he described as a “wicked, inhumane band of rogues” holding the country hostage.

This comes after the SSS had written to X owner Elon Musk to demand deactivation of Mr Sowore’s account, citing the post, which read, “This criminal @ official ABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”

The SSS labelled Mr Sowore an “incisive and national threat.” However, the activist vowed not to delete the post, adding that he would continue his activism on other social media platforms if banned from X.

This confrontation marks the latest in a long-running clash between Mr Sowore and the SSS.