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In effect to the suit filed by the Department of State Service (DSS), Omoyele Sowore, the laminitis of Sahara Reporters, has filed 2 cardinal rights actions against the Service earlier the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Also joined successful the suit are Meta (owners of Facebook) and X Corp. (formerly Twitter).
In the suit, Sowore challenges the DSS’s unconstitutional censorship of societal media accounts maintained with Meta and X.
According to him, done his lawyer, Tope Temokun, Esq., “this is astir the endurance of escaped code successful Nigeria. If authorities agencies tin dictate to planetary platforms who whitethorn talk and what whitethorn beryllium said, past nary Nigerian is safe; their voices volition beryllium silenced astatine the whim of those successful power.
“Censorship of governmental disapproval is alien to democracy. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, successful Section 39, guarantees each national the close to state of expression, without interference. No information bureau tin suspend oregon delete those rights, nary substance however powerful.
“Meta and X indispensable besides recognize this: erstwhile they bow to unlawful censorship demands, they go complicit successful suppressing liberty. They cannot fell down neutrality portion authoritarianism is exported onto their platforms.
“Our prayers earlier the Court are simple: That the SSS has nary powerfulness successful instrumentality to censor Nigerians connected societal media; That Meta and X indispensable not lend their platforms arsenic tools of repression; and
“That our client’s rights and by extension, the rights of each Nigerians, beryllium afloat protected against unlawful censorship.
“We telephone connected each lovers of freedom, journalists, quality rights defenders, and the Nigerian radical to basal firm. Today it is Sowore; time it whitethorn beryllium you.
This conflict is not astir personalities. It is astir principle. And we shall defy each effort to crook Nigeria into a integer dictatorship.”
The DSS filed a suit, claiming that Sowore made mendacious societal media posts astir President Bola Tinubu.
According to the DSS, the station could origin the breakdown of instrumentality and bid successful the country.
The transgression charges filed astatine the Federal High Court successful Abuja besides person X. Incorporation and Meta (Facebook) arsenic 2 different defendants.
In the 5-count transgression charges marked FHC/ABJ/CR)481/2025, Sowore was accused of utilizing his authoritative X grip leafage astatine Yele Sowore to tweet “This transgression @ authoritative PBAT really went to Brazil to authorities that determination is nary much corruption nether his authorities successful Nigeria. What audacity to prevarication shamelessly!.
The alleged offending post, said to beryllium contrary to Section 24(2) (b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024, was said to person been made connected August 25 wrong the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
In number two, Sowore was said to person utilized his authoritative Facebook leafage connected August 26 to nonstop the aforesaid mendacious message, which caused a breakdown of instrumentality and bid successful the country, particularly among those with divergent views connected President Bola Tinubu’s person.
The alleged offence is said to beryllium contrary to Section 24(2) (b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024
In number three, the activistic was accused of utilizing X’s instrumentality, via his authoritative relationship X relationship astatine Yele Sowore, to people defamatory worldly connected his online platform, to wit: “This transgression @ authoritative PBAT Actually went to Brazil to authorities that determination is nary much corruption nether his authorities successful Nigeria. What audacity to prevarication shamelessly!” against the property and estimation of President Bola Tinubu.
He was said to person committed an offence contrary to conception 375 of the Criminal Code.
The Department of State Service DSS which filed the charges connected behalf of the national government, besides accused Sowore of utilizing the instrumentality of his Facebook level to people defamatory worldly against the Nigerian President, contrary to conception 375 of the Criminal Code.
In number five, the suspect was alleged to person the intent to origin nationalist fearfulness and disturbances by publishing mendacious accusation against the estimation of President Bola Tinubu, contrary to conception 59 of the Criminal Code Act and punishable nether the aforesaid act.
The Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation, DPPF, Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, signed the charges.
Meanwhile, nary day has been fixed for the arraignment of the defendants.
Two weeks ago, the DSS wrote that Sowore and different defendants should propulsion down the offending station oregon beryllium prepared to look the ineligible consequences.
The charges read, “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, antheral connected oregon astir the 25th time of August, 2025, wrong the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did usage your authoritative X Handle page, @Yele Sowore, to nonstop retired a message/ tweet as: ‘this transgression @ authoritative pbat really went to brazil to authorities that t...
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