Former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has filed two fundamental rights suits at Federal High Court in Abuja to stop Facebook and X from removing his post in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a criminal.
Gatekeepers News reports that his lawyer, Tope Temokun, confirmed the move in a statement on Monday.
The statement reads, “On behalf of our client, Omoyele Sowore, we have filed two fundamental rights actions at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against the State Security Service (SSS), META (owners of Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter).”
According to the counsel, the suits were filed to resist what he described as unconstitutional censorship by the DSS against Sowore’s social media accounts. He stressed that the case is about protecting free speech in Nigeria.
Earlier that day, the DSS filed a five-count charge against Sowore, Meta, and X at the same court over posts critical of President Tinubu. The suit, dated September 16, 2025, was filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, M.B. Abubakar, alongside four DSS lawyers.
Confirming the development, Sowore wrote on Facebook, “The State Security Service, alias @OfficialDSSNG, today filed a five-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against ‘X’ (formerly Twitter Facebook, and myself.”
“They claimed that because I called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu a criminal, I have somehow committed a set of ‘novel’ offences they invented and spread across five counts.”
“It’s hard to believe there’s anyone sensible left in these offices that should be making Nigeria work. Regardless, I will be present whenever this case is assigned for trial. #RevolutionNow.”
Court documents marked FHC/ABJ/CR/481/2025 accused Sowore of posting a message on August 25 that read, “This criminal @officialPBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”
The prosecution argued that the post violated Section 24(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024.
In a separate count, Sowore was accused of reposting the same message on Facebook on August 26 with the intent to cause public disorder.
Another charge alleged that he used his official X account to publish defamatory material, said to contravene Section 375 of the Criminal Code.
