Nigerian Govt Drops Cybercrime Charge Against Sowore
The Federal Government has revised its criminal case against human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
The amended charge, filed in December 2025 at the Federal High Court in Abuja under Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, now contains two counts and no longer names X Corp and Meta as co-defendants.
The case focuses on posts Sowore shared on August 25, 2025, via his official X and Facebook accounts. The government alleges the messages were false and intended to cause public disorder or threaten lives, specifically targeting President Bola Tinubu. The charges fall under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, particularly sections addressing cyberstalking.
Originally, the Federal Government, through the Department of State Services, had filed a five-count charge naming Sowore, X, and Meta for allegedly defaming the President. Evidence cited included printouts of Sowore’s posts and correspondence sent to the social media companies.
The amended version now focuses solely on Sowore’s posts, including a statement calling the President a “criminal” and accusing him of lying about ending corruption in Nigeria. The prosecution argues these posts were knowingly false and posed a threat to public order.
The case is still pending before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Legal representation for the government includes Kehinde & Partners LP, with senior counsel listed among the prosecution team.
