JUST IN: Sowore Sues DSS, Meta, and X, Asks Abuja Court to Stop Social Media from Deleting His Posts Calling Tinubu a ‘Criminal’

Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore has filed a lawsuit against the State Security Service (SSS), also known as the Department of State Services (DSS), Meta, and X Corp. at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging what he describes as unconstitutional censorship of his social media accounts.

Represented by lawyer Tope Temokun, Sowore is seeking a court order to prevent the DSS from directing global social media platforms to delete his posts, including one in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” According to Temokun, the case is about defending free speech in Nigeria. “If state agencies can dictate to global platforms who may speak and what may be said, then no Nigerian is safe,” he said.

The lawsuit cites Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees citizens the right to freedom of expression. Temokun warned that when platforms comply with unlawful censorship demands, they risk becoming complicit in suppressing liberty. The suit seeks declarations that the DSS has no legal authority to censor Nigerians online and that Meta and X must not allow their platforms to be used as instruments of repression.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate, has a long history of challenging successive governments in Nigeria. The latest legal action comes after the DSS filed criminal charges against him at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Court documents show the DSS accused Sowore of defaming President Tinubu by calling him a “criminal” and alleged that his posts were false and intended to disrupt public order, citing sections of the Cybercrimes Amendment Act, 2024.

The five-count charge alleges that Sowore used his official X and Facebook accounts on August 25 and 26, 2025, to make defamatory statements and spread false information. The DSS listed evidence including printouts of Sowore’s posts and letters sent to Meta and X requesting their removal. No arraignment date has been set.

Sowore has publicly refused to delete the posts, stating that holding government officials accountable is a constitutional duty. He and his legal team have called on Nigerians, journalists, and human rights defenders to support the case, framing it as a broader fight against digital authoritarianism rather than a personal dispute.