The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed five criminal charges against activist Omoyele Sowore and two tech companies, X and Meta (Facebook), alleging they published false and defamatory posts against President Bola Tinubu.
The charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accuse Sowore of using his social media accounts to spread false information intended to incite public unrest.
The Allegations
The core of the government’s case centers on a specific post made by Sowore on August 25. The post read: “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 that by posting this on his official X and Facebook pages, Sowore violated several laws, including:
- Cybercrimes Act, 2024: The first two counts charge Sowore with disseminating a message he knew to be false for the purpose of causing a “breakdown of law and order,” especially among those with differing views on the president.
- Criminal Code Act: The final three counts accuse Sowore of publishing defamatory material against the president’s “personality and reputation” and of creating public fear with false information.
The charges, signed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, come two weeks after the DSS reportedly sent a letter to Sowore and the tech companies demanding the posts be taken down.
No date has been set for the arraignment of the defendants. The case marks a significant legal challenge in Nigeria’s ongoing debate over freedom of speech and government power.
