DSS slams criminal charges on Sowore over anti-Tinubu posts

By Wandoo Sombo

The Department of State Services, DSS has instituted cybercrime and criminal defamation charges against rights activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore and two others, for allegedly publishing false and inciting social media posts about President Bola Tinubu.

The FG named Mata (Facebook) Incorp. and X Incorp as the two co-defendants in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The criminal charge dated Sept. 16, was filed by Mohammed Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice.

In the five-count criminal charge, DSS alleged that Sowore used his verified X account, @YeleSowore, to publish a post on Aug. 25, which was aimed at inciting public disorder and undermining the reputation of President Tinubu.

Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019 and 2023, in the charge is accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.

DSS cited the publication 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.”

According to the prosecution, the post is in contravention of Section 24(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024.

In count two, the DSS alleged that in Aug. 26, Sowore disseminated the same message via his official Facebook page.

The secret police said that the post was calculated to provoke breakdown of law and order, especially among Nigerians critical of President Tinubu.

Count three accused the activist-turned publisher of using his X account to publish defamatory content against the president, thereby committing an offence under Section 375 of the Criminal Code.

In count four, the prosecuting agency mirrored count three, but related it to the publication of the same content on Facebook.

The agency in count five, accused Sowore of publishing false information with the intent to incite public fear and disturbance, saying this was in violation of Section 59 of the Criminal Code.

No date has been fixed for the arraignment of Sowore and the two other the defendants.

The charge was filed after an earlier request by the Department of State Services (DSS) to Facebook and X, the former Twitter to pull down the post by by Sowore for allegedly being defamatory.

However, the two social media organizations refused the request.

Consequently, the DSS had, two weeks ago, issued a formal warning to Sowore and others to remove the posts or risk prosecution.

The DSS maintained that the online posts had the potential to incite unrest, especially amid Nigeria’s delicate political climate.

But Sowore also rejected the appeal by the DSS while insisting that the secret police cannot tell him how to criticize President Tinubu.

See the five counts below

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, @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.”

Charge Two read, “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did use your official Facebook page, Omoyele Sowore, to send out a message/ post 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/post 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.”

Count three, “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 25th day of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, using the instrumentality of X, via your official X account @Yele Sowore, did knowingly published defamatory material on your online platform viz: ‘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!’, against the personality and reputation 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 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

Count four reads, “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, using the instrumentality of Facebook, via your official Facebook account Omoyele Sowore, did knowingly published defamatory material on your online platform viz: ‘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!’, against the personality and reputation 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 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

The count read, “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to cause public fear and disturbance, published false information on your official X and Facebook account @Yele Sowore, respectively, against the personality and reputation 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 59 of the Criminal Code Act and punishable under the same Act.”

(NAN)