The Department of State Services (DSS), acting through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ), has filed a five-count criminal charge against pro-democracy activist Omoyele Sowore, X Corp (formerly Twitter), and Meta (Facebook) Inc. before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to the charge sheet dated September 16, 2025, and signed by a team of government lawyers led by M.B. Abubakar, Esq., Director of Public Prosecutions at the FMOJ, alongside M.E. Ernest, U.B. Bulla, C.S. Eze (PhD), and E.G. Orubor of the Department of State Services, the charges stem from posts allegedly made by Sowore on his verified X handle (@YeleSowore) and Facebook account. In those posts, Sowore reportedly described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal” and accused him of making false claims during an official trip to Brazil, where he allegedly declared that there was no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. Prosecutors said the statements were false, defamatory and intended to cause public fear and disturbance.
The government alleges that Sowore knowingly published false information with the intent to cause a breakdown of law and order in Nigeria, defamed the President and Commander-in-Chief, published statements likely to cause fear and disturbance, and used the platforms of X Corp and Meta (Facebook) to disseminate materials deemed offensive against the Nigerian government. The charge sheet cites sections of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act as the legal basis for the prosecution. The documents also show that the prosecution has prepared to tender as evidence printouts of Sowore’s posts, official letters sent to X and Meta, and responses linked to the alleged defamatory remarks.
Sowore, reacting to the charges, described them as “novel offences” invented to silence dissent. He stated that the State Security Service, alias @OfficialDSSNG, had filed the charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja against X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and himself, claiming that his description of President Tinubu as a criminal somehow constituted new offences created and spread across five counts. He said it was hard to believe that there was anyone sensible left in the offices meant to make Nigeria work, but pledged that he would be present whenever the case is assigned for trial.
The case is expected to be assigned to a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja in the coming days, with Sowore vowing to attend all proceedings. This development marks a rare move by Nigerian authorities to prosecute not only a prominent activist but also global social media platforms over alleged defamatory content targeting the Nigerian President.
Reported by: Stone Reporters News
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