The Department of State Services (DSS) has initiated significant legal action by filing a five-count criminal charge against human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, at the Federal High Court in Abuja. In a landmark move, X Corp. (owners of the social media platform X, formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. (parent company of Facebook) have also been named as the 2nd and 3rd defendants, respectively. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, was officially filed on September 16, 2025, which was a Tuesday.

The core of the charges revolves around allegations that Sowore defamed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by referring to him as a “criminal” in social media posts. The prosecution, led by M.B. Abubakar, Esq., Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, alongside other counsel, cites two main pieces of legislation: the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Criminal Code Act.

The five-count charge details specific instances of alleged infractions. Count one accuses Sowore of using his official X handle, @Yele Sowore, on August 25, 2025, to tweet: '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!' The DSS alleges this message was known to be false and posted with the intent to cause a breakdown of law and order, violating Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2024.

Count two mirrors this accusation regarding a Facebook post on August 26, 2025, where Sowore allegedly used his official Facebook page to share the same message, also with the purpose of causing public unrest and violating the same section of the Cybercrimes Act.

Counts three and four further allege that Sowore knowingly published defamatory material against President Tinubu. Count three pertains to the August 25, 2025 post on X, while count four relates to the August 26, 2025 post on Facebook, both cited as offences contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

Finally, count five charges Sowore with publishing false information on both his X and Facebook accounts on August 26, 2025, with intent to cause public fear and disturbance against the reputation of President Tinubu. This is deemed an offence contrary to Section 59 of the Criminal Code Act.

This legal action follows a series of events sparked by President Tinubu’s recent visit to Brazil, where he reportedly stated that his government had eliminated corruption. Sowore, a long-standing critic of successive Nigerian governments and publisher of SaharaReporters, publicly described Tinubu as a criminal in response. The DSS had previously demanded that Sowore delete the controversial social media posts and issue a public apology within one week, threatening legal action for non-compliance. Sowore, however, defiantly refused, asserting his constitutional duty to hold leaders accountable. He stated publicly, “One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X.”

The DSS had also formally petitioned Meta Platforms Inc. and X (formerly Twitter), urging them to delete Sowore’s posts and deactivate his verified accounts, accusing him of spreading misleading information and inciting violence. While Meta has not publicly responded, X confirmed receipt of the DSS’s request and notified Sowore of the government’s attempt to censor his post. Even the presidency, through Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga, privately urged Sowore to retract his statements, interpreting Tinubu’s remarks as being solely about foreign exchange reforms rather than overall corruption. Sowore dismissed these attempts, accusing Onanuga of complicity in the harassment of critics.

The court documents list a printout of Sowore’s tweets and Facebook posts, letters to X and Facebook, and his subsequent posts regarding those letters as exhibits. While the charges have been filed, they have not yet been assigned to a judge, and no date has been fixed for Sowore’s arraignment. Sowore has confirmed his intention to appear whenever the case is assigned for trial.