iDeemlawfulThe Department of State Services (DSS) has lodged criminal charges against human rights activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Also joined in the case as the 2nd and 3rd defendants are X Corp, owners of the social media platform X, and Meta Platforms Inc., parent company of Facebook.
According to filings dated September 16, 2025, the DSS, through the Federal Ministry of Justice (FMOJ), instituted a five-count charge against Sowore, accusing him of defaming President Bola Tinubu by calling him a “criminal” in posts on social media. The alleged remarks were made on Sowore’s verified X handle and Facebook page on August 25 and 26, 2025, during Tinubu’s state visit to Brazil.
The charge sheet was filed by M.B. Abubakar, Esq., Director of Public Prosecutions at the FMOJ, alongside M.E. Ernest, Esq., U.B. Bulla, Esq., C.S. Eze, and E.G. Orubor, Esq. as counsel.
Exhibits listed in support of the case include a printout of Sowore’s tweet on X, a printout of his Facebook post, and a letter sent to X Corp.
Other documents include a letter addressed to Meta Platforms Inc., as well as Sowore’s follow-up posts responding to those communications.
As of Tuesday, the case had not been assigned to any judge, and no date has been fixed for Sowore’s arraignment.
The development marks the latest flashpoint in the protracted standoff between the activist and Nigeria’s secret police.
iDeemlawful recalls that the DSS had earlier ordered Sowore to retract the statements, issue a public apology in national media, and publish a retraction on X. Sowore declined, maintaining that his comments were safeguarded by freedom of expression.
The DSS later warned that it would act “within the ambit of the law,” a threat that has now materialised in the criminal charges filed.
