The suit, dated 16 September 2025, was lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja after Sowore allegedly refused to delete certain posts describing the President in unflattering terms. The charges were initiated by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, with support from DSS counsel M.E. Ernest, U.B. Bulla, Dr C.S. Eze, and E.G. Orubor.
Confirming the development in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Sowore wrote:
“The State Security Service, alias @OfficialDSSNG, today filed a 5-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against ‘X’ (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and myself. They claimed that because I called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu a criminal, I have somehow committed a set of ‘novel’ offences they invented and spread across five counts. Regardless, I will be present whenever this case is assigned for trial. #RevolutionNow.”
Sowore, who contested under the African Action Congress in the 2023 elections, has maintained a defiant
stance, insisting he will not bow to DSS pressure to delete the contentious post.DSS had earlier written to X demanding the removal of the tweet, but Sowore refused. On Tuesday, he revealed that X had officially contacted him about the security agency’s request.
In its message, X confirmed receiving a legal notice from the DSS concerning Sowore’s account, @YeleSowore. The platform, however, stated it had not taken any action against the post.
“Hello @YeleSowore. In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a request from the Department of State Services regarding your X account… we have not taken any action on the reported content at this time as a result of this request,” the company wrote.
The platform further emphasised its commitment to free expression, noting that it routinely informs users whenever governments or law enforcement agencies seek content removal. X also advised Sowore to seek legal counsel or pursue civil society support if necessary.
This legal battle now sets the stage for a high-profile clash involving Nigeria’s state security agency, one of the country’s most outspoken activists, and two of the world’s biggest social media companies.
