The Department of State Services (DSS) is set to arraign Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, alongside social media giants, X Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday over alleged false claims against President Bola Tinubu.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, has been assigned to Mohammed Umar and will see the trio face a five-count charge filed on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) by the DSS.
It was learnt that the charges arose from posts made by Sowore in August on his verified X handle, @YeleSowore, and his Facebook page.
In the posts, Omoyele Sowore, allegedly referred to President Tinubu as “a criminal” and accused him of “lying about corruption in Nigeria.”
The DSS argued that the statements contravened provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act.
The agency also disclosed that it had written to X and Meta, demanding the removal of the alleged offending posts before proceeding with charges.
“That you, Omoyele Sowore, on or about the 25th day of August, 2025, did use your official X handle page, @Yele Sowore, to send out a message.
‘This criminal @officialPBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria.
“What audacity to lie shamelessly,’ which you know to be false but posted for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country, contrary to Section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.”
Another count accused Sowore of reposting the same content on Facebook on August 26, 2025, allegedly with intent to cause public fear and disturbance, an offence said to be contrary to Section 59 of the Criminal Code Act.
The former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections is also facing a separate charge of knowingly publishing defamatory material against the President, contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.
The charge also lists X and Facebook as co-defendants for allegedly providing the platforms through which the statements were disseminated.
Sowore, Meta, and X are expected to enter their pleas when the matter is called up in court on Tuesday.
