The Department of State Services (DSS) on Tuesday filed a suit against activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, for allegedly making a false and defamatory statement against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal.
The legal action, instituted at the Federal High Court in Abuja, followed Sowore’s refusal to take down the posts despite repeated demands from the security agency.
The DSS had earlier warned that it would take legal steps against X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook for providing platforms used by Sowore to circulate the alleged offensive content. In separate letters to the social media companies, the agency requested that the posts be removed but received no compliance.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, lists Sowore, Meta (Facebook) Incorporated, and X Incorporated as defendants. The DSS, in a five-count charge, alleged that Sowore, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019 and 2023 and convener of the #RevolutionNow protest against the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, contravened provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Sowore is accused of using his verified X handle, @YeleSowore, on August 25, 2025, and his Facebook account the following day, to publish posts describing the president as a criminal who lied about corruption in Nigeria while on an official visit to Brazil. The DSS stated that the posts were false and designed to cause a breakdown of law and order among citizens with opposing views about the president.
The charges specifically cited Section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act on defamation, and Section 59 of the same Act on publication of false information with intent to cause public fear and disturbance.
One of the counts read: “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 25th day of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did use your official X handle page, @Yele Sowore, to send out a message/tweet as: ‘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!,’ which you know the said message to be false but posted it for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country.”
Similar charges were framed in relation to the Facebook post, alongside counts of knowingly publishing defamatory material and spreading false information to incite public disturbance.
Following the filing of the case, Sowore is expected to be arraigned before the court in the coming days.
