‘DSS Has Lost Its Way, Targeting Critics Instead Of Bandits,’ Sowore’s Lawyer Slams Agency Over Misplaced Priorities
January 27, 2026 | News
Abubakar Marshal, lead counsel to human rights activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the Department of State Services (DSS) over what he described as inconsistencies and lapses in its handling of Sowore’s ongoing cyberstalking trial.
Speaking on Tuesday after the cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, a DSS operative identified as Mr. Cyril Nosike, Marshal faulted the quality of evidence presented before the Federal High Court in Abuja, saying it exposed serious institutional shortcomings within the agency.
According to him, the DSS tendered video evidence in which a public figure—later cleared by the same agency for an ambassadorial appointment—had allegedly described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as an “international drug baron” and a “criminal.”
“We asked the witness why the DSS went ahead to clear such a person for an ambassadorial position after making those statements,” Marshal said. “He told the court he did not know why the individual was cleared, but admitted that the DSS indeed gave the clearance.”
Marshal described the trial as a sham and an example of systemic failure, noting that the DSS witness admitted under oath that he received no directive from President Tinubu to initiate the cyberstalking charge against Sowore.
“The witness stated clearly that he did not receive any instruction from the President to file this case and that he is not answerable to the President but to his superiors within the DSS,” he said.
He further expressed concern over what he termed a deviation of the DSS from its statutory mandate.
“The DSS was established as a secret service responsible for intelligence gathering and discreet reporting to relevant authorities. It was never meant to be an agency involved in public disputes,” Marshal said.
The lawyer accused the DSS of involving itself in civil and personal matters beyond its legal scope, alleging cases ranging from tenancy and debt disputes to the arrest of a young woman who reportedly refused a forced marriage.
“We handled a case where a young woman was arrested and detained by the DSS simply because she declined to marry a man chosen by her father. It took significant legal effort to secure her release,” he alleged.
Marshal also criticised the agency’s claim of monitoring social media around the clock, questioning its priorities in light of Nigeria’s security challenges.
“Bandits openly post videos online boasting about kidnappings and attacks, yet the DSS appears more focused on monitoring criticisms of the President,” he said.
He warned that the DSS risked losing public trust if it failed to refocus on its core responsibilities.
“The service must urgently retrace its steps and return to intelligence gathering aimed at combating terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. These are the real threats facing the country,” Marshal concluded.