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Sowore files two fundamental rights suits against DSS, Meta, X.
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Lawsuits challenge deletion of posts calling President Tinubu a criminal.
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Five-count DSS charges allege defamation, cybercrime, and false information.
Omoyele Sowore, DSS, Meta, X, and Facebook dominate Nigeria’s social media and legal headlines as the former presidential candidate files two fundamental rights actions at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Sowore seeks to stop Facebook and X from deleting posts in which he called President Bola Tinubu a criminal, citing the protection of free speech and citizens’ rights against unconstitutional censorship.
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The actions, filed yesterday by his counsel, Tope Temokun, respond directly to the DSS, which on September 16 lodged a five-count criminal charge against Sowore, alongside Meta and X.
The charges allege that Sowore’s posts were false, defamatory, and intended to cause a breakdown of law and order.
The DSS, represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, M.B. Abubakar, and four other counsels, claimed that Sowore used his official X handle, @Yele Sowore, and Facebook account on August 25 and 26, 2025, to publish content allegedly in violation of Section 24(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act 2024, and Sections 59 and 375 of the Criminal Code.
Sowore reacted on Facebook, stating:“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.
READ ALSO: DSS Drags Sowore to Court Over Posts on Tinubu
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.”
The dispute pits free speech, social media regulation, and government authority at the centre of Nigeria’s public discourse.
Sowore’s lawsuit asserts that his right to express political opinions must be upheld, setting the stage for a critical legal precedent on social media and political commentary in the country.
