FG sues Sowore, others over Anti Tinubu’s post

The Federal Government on Tuesday filed a five-count charge against activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore for allegedly calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” in a social media post

The charge, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. M. B. Abubakar, claims that Sowore’s post constituted false accusations punishable 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 the second and third defendants in the case, filed as FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, are the social media platforms where the post was shared: X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta Incorp (Facebook).

Sowore’s post on August 25 came shortly after President Tinubu, during an official visit to Brazil, claimed his administration had successfully ended corruption in Nigeria. Following the post, the Department of State Services (DSS) wrote to both platforms demanding a ban on Sowore’s account and the removal of the post. The DSS also asked Sowore to delete the post across all platforms.

The Federal Government filed the charges after Sowore and the social media companies reportedly refused to comply with the DSS’s requests. According to the government, the post was intended to incite a breakdown of law and order, particularly among those with differing views on President Tinubu, and aimed to tarnish his reputation.

Exhibits the government intends to rely on include printouts of Sowore’s posts on X and Facebook, as well as correspondence from the DSS to the platforms.

Some excerpts from the charges 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, @YeleSowore, to send out a message: ‘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,’ which you knew to be false but posted to cause a breakdown of law and order among individuals with differing views on the President…”
• “That you, Omoyele Sowore, on or about the 26th of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, used your Facebook page, Omoyele Sowore, to send out the same message, knowing it was false and intending to disrupt public order…”
• “That you, Omoyele Sowore, on or about August 25, 2025, via your X account @YeleSowore, knowingly published defamatory material against the President, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.”

No date has yet been fixed for the defendants to be arraigned.

Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates