DSS files five-count charge against Sowore, X and Meta

DSS files five-count charge against Sowore, X and Meta

By: Zagazola Makama

The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a five-count criminal charge against presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, and two social media companies, X Corp and Meta Incorporation, before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

Zagazola reports that the charges followed Sowore’s refusal to delete alleged false and inciting posts about President Bola Tinubu from his verified X and Facebook accounts.

The DSS had, on Sept. 8, issued a one-week ultimatum to Sowore to remove the posts, which it described as “false, malicious, and inciting.” The ultimatum expired without compliance. X Corp and Meta, owners of X and Facebook, also declined a DSS request to deactivate Sowore’s accounts.

The charges were filed on behalf of the DSS and the Federal Government by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, and four other counsel to the DSS – M.E. Ernest, U.B. Bulla, Dr. C.S. Eze, and E.G. Orubor.

According to the charge sheet, Sowore, on Aug. 25 and 26, 2025, allegedly published posts on his official handles describing President Tinubu as a “criminal” and accusing him of lying about corruption in Nigeria during an official trip to Brazil.

The DSS said Sowore knew the claims were false but circulated them to incite disorder and disaffection among Nigerians.

One of the counts 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, @YeleSowore, to send out a message which you know to be false but posted 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), thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.”

The second count alleged that Sowore repeated the same post on his official Facebook account on Aug. 26, in breach of the same cybercrime law.

The third and fourth counts accused him of publishing defamatory material against the person and office of the President on both X and Facebook, contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

The fifth count alleged that Sowore, with intent to cause fear and public disturbance, published false information on both platforms, an offence contrary to Section 59 of the Criminal Code Act.

The DSS maintained that the posts were capable of undermining national security and causing a breakdown of public order.

Zagazola reports that the case is expected to be assigned to a trial judge for hearing in Abuja.

DSS files five-count charge against Sowore, X and Meta