The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly directed its private counsel, Akinolu Kehinde, SAN, to seek the suspension of its alleged cyber-bullying case against the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, until after the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
The DSS had approached the court to determine whether posts made by Sowore on his X and Facebook accounts on August 25, 2025, in which he referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal”, amounted to cyber-bullying.
The secret service had said the suit was intended to obtain judicial interpretation on the propriety of describing President Tinubu, or any other individual, as a criminal without due process.
The latest move could see the case put on hold for several months to enable Sowore focus on his presidential campaign.
A source close to the DSS legal team disclosed that the Director-General of the Service, Mr Tosin Ajayi, met with Kehinde and top officials of the DSS Legal Directorate on August 20, a day after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the ban on presidential campaigns.
According to the source, the meeting considered the possibility of suspending the case to enable Sowore participate fully in the election without hindrance.
“The DSS boss reportedly told the Senior Advocate and his directorate of legal services that, with the commencement of presidential campaigns, it would only be fair to pause the court case in order to enable Sowore fully participate in the upcoming elections without let or hindrance,” the source said.
The source added that since the matter had been before the court for nearly a year, suspending it for another four months would make little difference.
“The DSS boss told the lawyers that, since the matter had been in court for nearly a year, suspending it for another four months wouldn’t make much difference,” the source added.
The DSS had, in a September 6, 2025 letter to Meta Corp, argued that beyond protecting the President from physical threats, it was also empowered by law to protect him from psychological attacks.
Following Sowore’s social media posts, the DSS gave him seven days to delete them. After the expiration of the ultimatum, the Service approached the court on September 16, 2025, without inviting or arresting the politician.
The DSS said its action was similar to an earlier legal move in which it sought judicial interpretation on the legality of Professor Pat Utomi’s proposed “Shadow Government”.
The source said the DSS’ position on suspending the case is expected to be formally communicated to the Federal High Court when judicial officers resume normal sittings after the annual vacation from Monday, September 14, 2026.
