The Federal Government has amended its criminal charges against activist and SaharaReporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, narrowing the case filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja and removing technology companies Meta Platforms Inc. and X Corp. as co-defendants.
According to court documents obtained by SaharaReporters, the amended charge sheet was filed in December 2025 under Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 and now contains two counts specifically against Sowore alone, whereas the earlier version had listed Meta and X as additional defendants.
The prosecution says Sowore’s liability stems from social media posts he published on August 25, 2025 on his Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) accounts, in which he allegedly called President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a “criminal” and criticised the president’s statements on corruption. The government maintains that the posts were “false and made with intent to cause a breakdown of law and order,” although Sowore has rejected this characterisation.
In the revised counts, the Federal Government invokes provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024, particularly Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2) on cyberstalking, asserting that Sowore “knowingly or intentionally” transmitted messages deemed unlawful under the law. The amended filings allege the same conduct in separate counts for posts on both X and Facebook.
By withdrawing Meta and X as defendants, the prosecution has shifted focus strictly to Sowore’s personal conduct rather than implicating the platforms through which the messages were disseminated. Meta and X had been named in the original five-count suit filed in September 2025 by the Department of State Services (DSS) acting on behalf of the Federal Government on allegations that the activist’s posts could incite public disorder.
The initial complaint, which included Meta and X as co-respondents for allegedly facilitating the dissemination of the challenged posts, reflected an expansive approach to liability under digital communications law. The amended charge narrows the case to Sowore’s actions alone.
The matter remains before the Federal High Court in Abuja. No trial date has been publicly announced since the filing of the revised charge sheet. Sowore’s legal team has historically challenged procedural aspects of the case, and his defence has denounced the broader use of cybercrime legislation in matters involving political speech.
Observers say the removal of the tech companies from the charge sheet could have implications for how digital platform liability is treated in future cybercrime prosecutions, particularly in cases involving high-profile political figures and allegations of online defamation.
