FG sues Sowore, Facebook, X over post calling Tinubu ‘criminal’
By Jeffrey Agbo
The Federal Government has filed a five-count charge against activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, over a social media post in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
The charges, entered before the Federal High Court in Abuja, were initiated by the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, M. B. Abubakar.
According to the government, Sowore’s remarks amounted to offences under Section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as Sections 59 and 375 of the Criminal Code Act.
Also named as co-defendants in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 are Meta (Facebook) Inc. and X Inc. (formerly Twitter), the platforms where Sowore shared the post.
Sowore’s comments, made on August 25, followed Tinubu’s official visit to Brazil, where the President declared that his administration had ended corruption in Nigeria. Sowore reacted by calling Tinubu a “criminal” in posts that quickly drew the attention of security authorities.
Angered by the statement, the Department of State Services (DSS) wrote to both Facebook and X, demanding that Sowore’s accounts be suspended and the posts removed. The DSS also wrote directly to Sowore asking him to delete the content.
The Federal Government said it proceeded with charges after both Sowore and the platforms declined to comply. It alleged that the activist’s post was intended to incite unrest and discredit the President’s reputation.
Among the exhibits listed for trial are printed copies of Sowore’s social media posts and the DSS correspondence with the two platforms.
Part of the charge reads: “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, 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) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.”
The charge further cited a similar Facebook post made the following day and accused Sowore of deliberately publishing defamatory content against Tinubu.
No date has yet been fixed for the arraignment of Sowore, Meta, and X.
, Omoyele Sowore, over a social media post in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”){kind=link}