Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of planning to kill him.
Taking to X, Sowore alleged that the Department of State Services (DSS), under the leadership of its Director-General, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, has declared a “full war” against him following his criticism of President Bola Tinubu, whom he labelled a “criminal” following the president’s claim during a visit to Brazil that corruption had “vanished” under his administration.
Sowore said after the DSS wrote to social media companies like X and Facebook, asking them to act against him, the secret police also began trailing his friends and collecting information about those who leaked stories to Sahara Reporters.
He explained that Sahara Reporters had published an investigation which exposed how a DSS promotion exam led to the death of eight officers, creating anger inside the service. According to him, the DSS is now arresting and questioning its own officers over the leaks.
“These people have a plan to assassinate you, and the DSS is providing technical assistance,” he quoted from sources warning him
He further claimed that this was not the first attempt on his life. According to Sowore, operatives of the DSS had previously tried to assassinate him inside a Federal High Court in Abuja during the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He alleged that one of the officers involved, identified as Marshal, had recently returned from Bulgaria, where he was trained in so-called “non-lethal” killing techniques.
Sowore also described the DSS boss, Ajayi, as a longtime operator who started his career in 1990 by posing as a student at the University of Benin (UNIBEN).
Meanwhile, Sowore is also facing fresh legal battles. He revealed that Justice M. Umar of the Federal High Court has scheduled his arraignment on cybercrime charges for next Tuesday in a case instituted by the DSS. In addition, another case filed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, is set to be heard on Monday before Justice M.S. Liman — the same judge who ordered the seizure of his international passport in January 2025.
Sowore argued that his passport was not seized for legal reasons but to trap him in Nigeria.
“It was a calculated move to keep me tied down and unable to travel, so they could do their worst,” he said.