Sowore files counter-suit against DSS, vows to fight ‘digital dictatorship’ of Tinubu govt

The lawyer said the social media platforms cannot hide behind neutrality while authoritarianism is exported onto their platforms.

Pro-democracy activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has filed two fundamental rights cases against Nigeria’s secret police, the Department for State Services (DSS) Meta (Facebook) and X Corp over alleged attempt to censor his social media accounts maintained with the two social media companies.

Sowore, who was also the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 election, filed the suit at the Federal High Court Abuja with a bow to put up what he described as fight against digital dictatorship in the country, currently.

This was revealed in a statement released by his legal team signed by Tope Temokun, on Tuesday September 16, 2025.

He said the lawsuit was about survival of free speech in Nigeria.

“Censorship of political criticism is alien to democracy. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in Section 39, guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of expression, without interference. No security agency, no matter how powerful, can suspend or delete those rights,” the statement said.

He added that that Meta and X must also understand that when they bow to unlawful censorship demands, they become complicit in the suppression of the struggle for liberty.

The lawyer said the social media platforms cannot hide behind neutrality while authoritarianism is exported onto their platforms.

Sowore’s legal team’s prayers before the court are, “That the DSS has no power in law to censor Nigerians on social media; That Meta and X must not lend their platforms as tools of repression; and

“That our client’s rights and by extension, the rights of all Nigerians, be fully protected against unlawful censorship.

“We call on all lovers of freedom, journalists, human rights defenders, and the Nigerian people to stand firm. Today it is @YeleSowore ; tomorrow it may be you.

“This struggle is not about personalities. It is about principle. And we shall resist every attempt to turn Nigeria into a digital dictatorship,” the statement .

Sowore’s suit was in response to suit filed against him earlier on Tuesday by the Federal Government for allegedly cyberbullying President Bola Tinubu.

The FG, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, also joined Mata (Facebook) Incorp. and X Incorp. as defendants at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The criminal charge dated Sept. 16, was filed by Mohammed Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice.

In the five-count charge, Sowore, was alleged to have made a false claim against the person of the President by referring to him as “a criminal.”

The charge was filed few days after an earlier request by the Department of State Services (DSS) for the pulling down of the post on Facebook and X, the former Twitter, allegedly used by Sowore for the defamatory message.

Sowore, in the charge is accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.

Count one of the charge alleged that Sowore, on or about Aug. 25, did use his official X handle page, @Yele Sowore, to send out a message/tweet.

The message is said to be, “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 message, which he knew to be false, was posted “for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country, especially among individuals, who hold divergent views on the personality of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR).”

The offence is said to be contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, among other counts.

The DSS had on September 8, gave Sowore a one-week ultimatum to delete the social media post against Tinubu.

It also wrote the social media companies to remove the post from their platforms.

DSS described the social media post as ‘false, malicious, and inciting’

However, the activist refused to deleting the posts on President Tinubu.

The social media companies also refused to remove the posts from their platforms.