The publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has initiated two fundamental rights lawsuits against the Department of State Services (DSS).
The cases, filed at the federal high court in Abuja, challenge what Sowore describes as the “unconstitutional censorship” of his social media platforms.
According to his lawyer, Tope Temokun, the suits seek to prevent the DSS from interfering with Sowore’s online posts and to stop Meta and X from removing content critical of President Bola Tinubu.
On August 25, Sowore, a former presidential candidate, had referred to Tinubu as a “criminal” in response to the president’s remarks on corruption during a trip to Brazil.
The DSS subsequently wrote to X, demanding the immediate suspension of Sowore’s verified account. In a letter dated September 7, signed by Uwem Davies on behalf of Adeola Ajayi, the DSS also directed Sowore to retract his statement on X and issue a public apology within one week.
The agency further instructed him to publish apologies in at least two national newspapers and two television stations, and to submit a formal apology either at its Abuja headquarters or via email.
Following this, the DSS filed a criminal suit before a federal high court in Abuja. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, was entered on Tuesday.
However, in a statement released shortly after the DSS’ move, Temokun confirmed that Sowore had filed two suits at the Abuja federal high court.
“Let it be clear, this is not just about one man’s social media post,” the statement reads.
“This is about the survival of free speech in Nigeria. If state agencies can dictate to global platforms who may speak and what may be said, then no Nigerian is safe — our voices will be silenced at the whim of those in power.
“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.
“Meta and X must also understand when they bow to unlawful censorship demands, they become complicit in the suppression of liberty. They cannot be neutral bystanders while authoritarianism is exported onto their platforms.
“Our prayers before the court are simple: that the SSS has no power in law to censor Sowore, by extension Nigerians, on social media;
“Restraining Orders against the SSS from proceeding with its unlawful censorship bid against Sowore’s social media accounts.
“Restraining orders against Meta and X from deleting Sowore’s post on President Tinubu or deactivating his accounts.
“That our client’s rights — and by extension the rights of all Nigerians — be fully protected against unlawful censorship.”