The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International Nigeria have urged President Bola Tinubu to order the withdrawal of criminal charges filed against activist Omoyele Sowore, as well as against the social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, over allegedly critical posts about the President.
In a joint letter dated 20 September 2025, signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, and Amnesty International Nigeria’s director, Isa Sanusi, the groups called on Tinubu to prevent the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies from “misusing judicial processes to silence dissent.”
They also urged the President to direct the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to draft and present an anti-SLAPP law before the National Assembly, aimed at stopping the use of lawsuits to stifle public criticism.
“The weaponisation of the justice system to crack down on peaceful dissent is wholly inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations,” the letter stated.
The charges, lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja on 16 September, include two counts under the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 and three counts of criminal defamation, causing public fear and disturbance under the Criminal Code Act. They were reportedly filed after Sowore allegedly refused to delete posts critical of Tinubu.
SERAP and Amnesty International argued that SLAPP suits and criminal defamation laws are unnecessary, disproportionate, and harmful to democracy. They warned that such actions discourage free expression and threaten public participation.
The groups emphasised that Nigerian authorities have both a negative obligation to refrain from interfering with human rights and a positive obligation to protect them. They reminded Tinubu of his own pledge during his Democracy Day address in June 2025, where he stated that no one should face injustice for criticising him.
The organisations further cautioned that if the government fails to act within seven days, they will consider legal action, including proceedings before the ECOWAS Court of Justice.