Sowore Faces Court Over Alleged Defamation Charges Against President Tinubu
By Oludare Joshua
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday to face charges brought by the Federal Government. Sowore is accused of making false statements about President Bola Tinubu that allegedly aimed to incite disorder, according to court documents detailing a five-count indictment.
The lawsuit, filed on September 16, 2025, follows Sowore’s refusal to delete contentious social media posts regarding the President. Notably, he was charged for a tweet on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, stating, “This criminal @officialPBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”
This statement, said to violate Section 24(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024, was reportedly posted on August 25 within the court’s jurisdiction.
The charges were brought forth by the Department of State Services (DSS), with M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, leading the legal team, which included attorneys M.E. Ernest, U.B. Bulla, Dr. C.S. Eze, and E.G. Orubor.
In a Facebook post last week, Sowore responded to the legal action, asserting, “The State Security Service, alias @OfficialDSSNG today filed a 5-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against ‘X’ (formerly Twitter, Facebook) and myself. They claimed that because I called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu a criminal, I have somehow committed a set of ‘novel’ offenses they invented and spread across five counts.”
Sowore expressed disbelief at the charges, asserting, “It’s hard to believe there’s anyone sensible left in these offices that should be making Nigeria work. Regardless, I will be present whenever this case is assigned for trial. #RevolutionNow.”
Earlier reports stated that the activist, who was the African Action Congress candidate in the 2023 elections, remained resolute in not deleting the controversial tweet, despite the DSS’s request for its removal. Sowore reiterated his stance, saying, “This morning, X (formerly Twitter) officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my tweet on Tinubu. One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that tweet. Thank you, @X.”
