Omoyele Sowore, a prominent Nigerian human rights activist and former presidential candidate, has initiated legal action against the Department of State Services (DSS), Meta (the parent company of Facebook), and X Corp. (formerly Twitter) over what he alleges is an unconstitutional attempt to censor his social media posts.
The lawsuits, which were filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, are a direct response to a legal move by the DSS, which had previously filed a five-count charge against Sowore, X, and Meta. The DSS’s charges stemmed from a social media post by Sowore in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” The DSS had also reportedly requested that the social media platforms delete the posts and deactivate Sowore’s accounts.
Here are the key aspects of Sowore’s lawsuit:
- Claim of Unconstitutional Censorship: The central argument of Sowore’s suit, as stated by his lawyer, Tope Temokun, is that the DSS has no legal authority to censor Nigerians on social media. The lawsuit contends that such actions are an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression guaranteed by Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution.
- Targeting the Social Media Companies: The lawsuit also names Meta and X Corp. as defendants, arguing that by complying with the DSS’s demands, the platforms would become “complicit in the suppression of liberty.” Sowore’s legal team is seeking a court declaration that these platforms must not be used as “tools of repression” by state agencies.
- Context of the Dispute: The legal battle began after Sowore made a post critical of President Tinubu’s comments on corruption during a visit to Brazil. The DSS deemed the posts “false, malicious, and inciting” and gave Sowore an ultimatum to delete them. He refused, and X Corp. notified him of the legal request from the Nigerian government, though the platform has not yet taken action on the content.
- Wider Implications for Free Speech: This case is seen as a crucial test of free speech rights in Nigeria, particularly in the digital age. Sowore and his legal team argue that if government agencies can dictate what content is allowed on global social media platforms, it sets a dangerous precedent that could silence political dissent and criticism.
This is not the first time Sowore has been in a legal standoff with Nigerian authorities over his activism. The ongoing dual lawsuits—with the DSS suing Sowore and the social media platforms, and Sowore in turn suing the DSS and the platforms—set the stage for a significant legal and political confrontation over the boundaries of free expression in Nigeria.
