AfriPulse
by
Admin Josh
·
September 17, 2025
Human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher Omoyele Sowore has filed a lawsuit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the State Security Service (SSS/DSS), Meta (Facebook’s parent company), and X Corp. (formerly Twitter), challenging what he calls unconstitutional censorship of his social media accounts.
Represented by lawyer Tope Temokun, Sowore seeks to prevent the DSS from directing global platforms to remove his posts, including one in which he labeled President Bola Tinubu a “criminal.”
Temokun emphasized that the suit defends free speech in Nigeria, warning that allowing state agencies to dictate online expression threatens all citizens’ voices. Sowore cited Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, asserting that no security agency can suspend or delete these rights.
The lawsuit also targets Meta and X, urging them not to become complicit in suppressing liberty by complying with unlawful government demands. The suit requests court declarations confirming the DSS has no legal authority to censor Nigerians online and that Sowore’s rights, along with those of other citizens, are protected from unlawful interference.
“This struggle is not about personalities. It is about principle. We shall resist every attempt to turn Nigeria into a digital dictatorship,” the statement said.
Earlier, the DSS filed a five-count criminal charge against Sowore at the Federal High Court, accusing him of defaming President Tinubu and spreading false information through his X and Facebook posts on August 25 and 26, 2025. The charges, citing the Cybercrimes Amendment Act, 2024, allege Sowore’s posts were false, defamatory, and intended to incite public fear. No arraignment date has been set.
The DSS had also formally requested Meta and X to delete Sowore’s posts and deactivate his accounts, citing national security and public order concerns. Sowore refused, insisting his criticism of the government is part of his constitutional duty to hold leaders accountable.
Source: BarristerNg | Read the Full Story…
