A fresh legal confrontation has erupted between Nigerian activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, and the Department of State Services (DSS). On Tuesday, September 17, 2025, the Federal Government, acting on the DSS’s request, filed criminal charges against Sowore over a social media post in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” Hours later, Sowore struck back, counter-suing the DSS for what he described as unconstitutional censorship of his social media accounts.
The charges, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja under suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/481/2025, allege that Sowore violated provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024. According to the prosecution, led by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Ministry of Justice, Sowore’s post on August 25 attacked the integrity of the President and was intended to cause public disorder. The Federal Government also listed X (formerly Twitter) and Meta (owners of Facebook) as co-defendants in the case, since Sowore used their platforms to make the post.
In the controversial post, Sowore wrote: “This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!” The remarks were made during Tinubu’s official visit to Brazil, where he had claimed that his administration had eliminated corruption.
The DSS quickly reacted, writing to Sowore to demand he delete the post, which it described as “false, malicious, and inciting.” The agency also petitioned X Corp. and Meta to remove the posts and deactivate Sowore’s accounts. Sowore refused, insisting that no amount of pressure would make him withdraw his criticism. He argued that his statements were part of his constitutional responsibility to hold leaders accountable.
Following the criminal charges, Sowore’s lawyer, Tope Temokun, filed a counter-suit before the same Federal High Court. The suit asks the court to restrain the DSS from directing social media platforms to censor or delete his posts. Temokun described the case as a fight for democracy and free speech, warning that if security agencies are allowed to dictate online discourse, every Nigerian risks being silenced.
“This is about the survival of free speech in Nigeria,” Temokun said. “If state agencies can decide who speaks and what may be said on global platforms, then no Nigerian is safe. Today it is Sowore; tomorrow it could be anyone.” He further argued that censorship of political criticism has no place in a democratic system, citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression.
The counter-suit also seeks a declaration that Meta and X must resist unlawful censorship demands and avoid complicity in suppressing liberty. According to Sowore’s legal team, global tech firms cannot claim neutrality while enabling authoritarian practices.
As of Tuesday, neither the government’s charges nor Sowore’s counter,suit had been assigned to a judge. Meanwhile, Sowore has vowed to continue resisting what he described as attempts to turn Nigeria into a “digital dictatorship.
