Human rights lawyer Festus Ogun has sued Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Federal High Court in Lagos, alleging that the governor violated his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, Ogun said Sanwo-Olu blocked him in 2021 in retaliation for his “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” over the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.
Ogun argued that being blocked deprived him of access to official updates and information on Lagos State governance, amounting to a breach of his right to receive information. He asked the court to declare the governor’s action unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory, and to order Sanwo-Olu to unblock him, issue a public apology, and stop targeting critics online.
The lawyer also sought a perpetual injunction restraining Sanwo-Olu, his agents, or anyone acting on his behalf from blocking him or any citizen on X or any other social media platform.
“This suit is not just about me. I have filed this lawsuit in furtherance of public interest and with the hope that it sets a precedent in our digital rights jurisprudence,” Ogun said, adding that the action had left him “haunted, traumatised and emotionally disturbed.”
He urged the court to consider the 2019 U.S. District Court ruling in Knight First Amendment Institute v Trump, where the court held that then-President Trump violated the First Amendment by blocking critics on Twitter.
Ogun warned that intolerance to criticism undermines democracy. “Intolerance to criticism and accountability is unconstitutional and undemocratic. Nigerian authorities continue to crack down on dissents, critics, journalists, bloggers and vocal citizens on social media using arrests, detention, surveillance, collusion with big techs and outright blocking as weapons. That narrative must stop,” he said.
I have now sued Sanwo-Olu for blocking me on Twitter. I asked the court to compel him to unblock and apologize to me. Truly, I have gone through mental stress and trauma over this matter but I will not ask for damages so I won’t be seen as a golddiger. Just unblock me. pic.twitter.com/xQPj8rBvtT
— FESTUS OGUN (@mrfestusogun) August 29, 2025
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