Sowore reply, sue DSS, Meta, X over alleged rights violations

Di presidential candidate of di African Action Congress (AAC) 2023 election and activist Omoyele Sowore don file two fundamental rights action for di Federal High Court, Abuja against Nigeria security agency, di Department of State Security, DSS, Meta (owners of Facebook) and X Corp, to stop dem from deleting im post about di Nigeria president.

Sowore say to delete im post go amount to unconstitutional censorship.

According to im lawyer, state agents no suppose disctate to global platforms who go speak and wetin to say, say if dem allow dat, na im be say dem go silence di voices of Nigerians

Dis dey come after Nigeria security agency, Department of State Services (DSS), drag Sowore, social media platforms X Corp (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc, go court.

Di DSS sama dem wit five-count charges bifor di Federal High Court for Abuja ova post wey involve Nigeria President Bola Tinubu.

Bifor now, DSS bin write X say make dem comot Sowore anti-Tinubu tweet from di platform.

DSS say Sowore actions dey spoil Nigeria image and dey give pipo wrong brand about di kontri.

For dia charges on di 16 September 2025, DSS write give di court say wetin Sowore post for social media about di president dey contrary to di Cybercrimes Act.

Na billionaire Elon Musk get X while Meta belong to Mark Zuckerberg.

Di charges wey DSS sama Sowore, X and Meta

According to di charge, DSS say Sowore, on di 25 August, 2025, bin "use your official X Handle page, @Yele Sowore, to send out 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!'"

DSS say di messages dey "false but e post am for di purpose to cause breakdown of law and order for di kontri, especially among individuals wey hold different views on di personality of di President and Commander-in- Chief of di Armed Forces of di Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR.

Dem say e commit offence contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of di Cybercrimes Amendment Act, 2024 (Prohibition, Prevention).

Di second charges wey DSS sama Sowore be say, for 26 August, 2025, e use im official Facebook page, Omoyele Sowore, to send out message wey read : "THIS CRIMINAL @ OFFICIAL PBAT ACTUALLY WENT TO BRAZIL TO STATE THAT THERE 1S NO MORE CORRUPTION UNDER HIS REGIME IN NIGERIA. WHAT AUDACITY TO LIE SHAMELESSLY."

"Wey you know say di message/post na false but post am for di purpose to cause breakdown of law and order for di kontri especially among individuals wey get anoda views on di personality of di President and Commander-in- Chief of DI Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR)".

DSS say Sowore bin commit offence wey dey contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of di Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.

For count three, four and five, DSS say Sowore action bin go contrary to section 375 and section 59 of di Criminal Code Act and wey dey punishable under di same Act.

'Sowore comment na threat to national security' – DSS

DSS for dia letter wey one official B. Bamigboye sign on behalf of di Director General of di agency, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, say Sowore action na threat to national security.

Di agency also say X, di platform wey di Nigerian politician take publish di post dey "criminally liable" according to di laws of Nigeria.

Dem say Sowore by dat post, violate sections of di Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022

"Said tweet still dey in circulation and don attract widespread condemnation by majority of Nigerians, some wey go wan do unlawful tins to show dia anger, especially supporters of di President wey don start enta street to protest, thereby creating political tension and threaten di kontri national security."

Dem say di effect of dis tweet "spoil di reputation of Mr. President and di kontri bifor di comity of nations.

"Di author and purveyor of di inflammatory online publication against Mr President dey veri much aware say di publication dey also prohibited by Section 2(3) of di Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and oda relevant Laws of di Federal Republic of Nigeria."

Di case neva dey assigned to any judge but Sowore don respond on top im X handle say im go present imsef for court weneva dem assign di case for hearing.

Cases against Sowore

Omoyele Sowore and di Nigeria govment na customers for court mata. E no dey easy to recall all di ongoing cases wey di govment get against di Sahara Reporters publisher.

For 2019, afta di general elections wia Sowore also contest for President under di Africa Action Congress (AAC), di federal govment bin arrest am and take am to court on top accuse of terrorism.

Dis come afta Sowore and im 'Take it Back' movement bin start ogbonge nationwide protest wey dem call 'Revolution Now', becos of di leadership of President Buhari at dat time.

Di DSS accuse Sowore dat time of "threatening public safety, peaceful co-existence and social harmony for di kontri", and also plotting to overthrow democratically elected govment.

E deny di allegations and di mata drag for court reach 2024 wen di current Attorney General of di Federation Lateef Fagbemi withdraw di charges.

But recently, di Nigeria Police Force also file charges against Sowore for di Federal High Court wia dem accuse am of forgery, and sharing fake police signals on top Facebook.

Di mata suppose come up for arraignment on Monday bifor Justice Emeka Nwite, but di trial judge adjourn am to October 23 sake of preliminary objection wey one of di lawyers bin raise.

Temitope Temokun, di counsel for Sahara Reporters tell di court say di media organisation no be legal entity or corporate body for Nigeria, therefore dem no fit sue am for Nigeria court.

Who be Omoyele Sowore

Sowore, from Ondo State for di southwest geopolitical region of Nigeria, start im activism as di leader of student union during im undergraduate days for di University of Lagos wia e study Geography and Planning.

E start Sahara Reporters for 2006 for New York City, United States of America, and e say na im tool to fight corruption.

Sowore first run for di office of President for 2019 under di AAC wey be political party wey im start, and e get 33,953 votes. E run for di same office again for di 2023 general elections but e get even fewer votes - 21,886.

For November 2019, Amnesty International declare Sowore "prisoner of conscience", alongside two oda activists - Agba Jalingo and Olawale Bakare.

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