In response to the suit filed by the Department of the State Service (DSS), the Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has filed two fundamental rights actions before the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the Service.
Also joined in the suit were Meta (owners of Facebook), and X Corp. (formerly Twitter).
In the suit, Sowore is challenging the unconstitutional censorship initiated by the DSS against the social media accounts he maintained with Meta and X.
According to him, through his lawyer, Tope Temokun, Esq., “this is about the survival of free speech in Nigeria. If state agencies can dictate to global platforms who may speak and what may be said, then no Nigerian is safe, their voices will be silenced at the whim of those in power.
“Censorship of political criticism is alien to democracy. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in Section 39, guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of expression, without interference. No security agency, no matter how powerful, can suspend or delete those rights.
“Meta and X must also understand this: when they bow to unlawful censorship demands, they become complicit in the suppression of liberty. They cannot hide behind neutrality while authoritarianism is exported onto their platforms.
“Our prayers before the Court are simple:
That the SSS has no power in law to censor Nigerians on social media; That Meta and X must not lend their platforms as tools of repression; and
“That our client’s rights and by extension, the rights of all Nigerians, be fully protected against unlawful censorship.
“We call on all lovers of freedom, journalists, human rights defenders, and the Nigerian people to stand firm. Today it is Sowore; tomorrow it may be you. This struggle is not about personalities. It is about principle. And we shall resist every attempt to turn Nigeria into a digital dictatorship.”
In the suit filed by the DSS, they told the court that Sowore made false social media posts against President Bola Tinubu.
According to the DSS, the post could cause breakdown of law and order in the country.
The criminal charges filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, also has X. Incorporation and Meta (Facebook) as two other defendants.
In the 5-count criminal charges marked FHC/ABJ/CR)481/2025, Sowore was accused of using his official x handle page at Yele Sowore to tweet “This criminal @ official PBAT Actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!.
The alleged offending post said to be contrary to Section 24(2) (b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024 was said to have been made on August 25 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
In count two, Sowore was said to have on August 26 used his official page Facebook to send the same false message out for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country especially among those who hold divergent views on the person of President Bola Tinubu.
The alleged offence is said to be contrary to Section 24(2) (b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024
In count three, the activist was accused of using the instrumentality of X, via his his official account X account at Yele Sowore to publish defamatory material on his online platform to wit “This criminal @ official PBAT Actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!.against the personality and reputation of President Bola Tinubu.
He was said to have committed an offence contrary to section 375 of the Criminal Code.
The Department of the State Service DSS which filed the charges on behalf of the federal government also accused Sowore of using the instrumentality of his Facebook platform to publish defamatory material against the Nigeria’s President contrary to section 375 of the Criminal Code.
In count five, the defendant was alleged to have intent to cause public fear and disturbances published false information against the reputation of President Bola Tinubu contrary to section 59 of the Criminal Code Act and punishable under the same act.
The Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation DPPF, Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar signed the charges.
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for arraignment of the defendants.
The DSS had two weeks ago wrote Sowore and other defendants to pull down the offending post or be prepared to face the legal consequences.
The charges read, “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 25th day of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did use your official X Handle page, @Yele Sowore, to send out a message/ tweet as : ‘THIS CRIMINAL @ OFFICIAL PBAT ACTUALLY WENT TO BRAZIL TO STATE THAT THERE IS NO MORE CORRUPTION UNDER HIS REGIME IN NIGERIA. WHAT AUDACITY TO LIE SHAMELESSLY!’, which you know the said message to be false but posted it for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country, especially among individuals who hold divergent views on the personality of the President and Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.”
Count Two read, “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did use your official Facebook page, Omoyele Sowore, to send out a message/ post as : ‘THIS CRIMINAL @ OFFICIAL PBAT ACTUALLY WENT TO BRAZIL TO STATE THAT THERE IS NO MORE CORRUPTION UNDER HIS REGIME IN NIGERIA. WHAT AUDACITY TO LIE SHAMELESSLY!’, which you know the said message/post to be false but posted it for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country, especially among individuals who hold divergent views on the personality of the President and Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.”
