Activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was on Monday re-arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) before a Federal High Court in Abuja on amended cybercrime charges relating to an alleged anti-President Bola Tinubu social media post, as the Federal Government officially dropped the case against Meta Platforms Inc. and X Corporation (formerly Twitter).
The development marks a significant turn in the high-profile matter, which has drawn intense public interest and commentary on free speech and cybercrime laws in Nigeria. Sowore was first arraigned on December 2, 2025, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 alongside the two tech giants, but on Monday, prosecution counsel informed the court that an amended charge dated December 5, 2025 had been prepared and was ready to be read.
During proceedings before Justice Mohammed Umar, lead prosecution lawyer Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, formally withdrew the earlier charge and moved to have Meta and X removed as co-defendants. The court granted the application, striking both companies’ names from the charge sheet.
The amended charge now lists Sowore as the sole defendant and contains two counts alleging he used his verified social media platforms to publish a statement deemed defamatory and capable of causing a “breakdown of law and order.”
According to the amended charge read in court, Sowore is accused of posting on or about August 25, 2025, via his verified X handle, @YeleSowore, the message:
“This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”
Prosecutors argue this statement constitutes cyberstalking and cyberbullying contrary to Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b) and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
When the amended charge was read, Sowore pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
His defence counsel, Marshal Abubakar, opposed the prosecution’s attempt to proceed with trial, arguing that the amended charge was defective because it failed to disclose the identity of any prosecution witness or attach sworn witness statements, a requirement he said is necessary for a fair hearing under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution. Abubakar stated that:
“The witness sought to be called is unknown to the defence and, indeed, unknown to the court.”
In response, Akinlolu Kehinde dismissed the objection as speculative, asserting that the Constitution does not require witness identity disclosure before they are called, and noting that the prosecution was prepared to proceed with its first witness already present in court.
Justice Umar directed the prosecution to provide the defence with the witness statement and adjourned the matter to Thursday, January 22, 2026, for a definite hearing.
The case stems from a cybercrime suit filed by the DSS on behalf of the Federal Government, alleging that in August 2025 Sowore’s posts on social media platforms described President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s commander-in-chief, as “a criminal” during an official trip to Brazil. The initial charge filed in September 2025 included five counts against Sowore and named Meta and X as co-defendants for hosting the platforms where the posts were published.
Legal experts and civil liberties advocates have monitored the proceedings closely, viewing them through the prism of freedom of expression, digital communication laws, and the evolving application of cybercrime legislation in Nigeria. Critics have argued that bringing tech platforms into the case raised complex jurisdictional and constitutional questions, even as the amended charge refocuses the matter solely on Sowore’s conduct.
As the case unfolds toward further hearings later this week, lawyers, activists and observers continue to watch for how the Federal High Court balances the application of cybercrime statutes with entrenched rights to free speech and due process.
