The Department of State Services (DSS) has filed a lawsuit against activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, as well as social media giants Meta (Facebook) Inc. and X Corp. Inc., over alleged defamatory posts targeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The five-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, was filed on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr M. B. Abubakar.

According to the DSS, Sowore’s posts, dated August 25 and 26, violated Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, as well as Sections 59 and 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

“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 stating: ‘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 knew to be false but posted with intent to cause a breakdown of law and order…” one count of the charge reads.

The suit also lists Meta and X as second and third defendants, as the posts were published on their platforms. The DSS alleged that both firms refused to comply with requests to deactivate Sowore’s account and remove the posts.

“The Federal Government, through the DSS, had written to X and Meta demanding removal of the denigrating posts and direct compliance from Mr Sowore, which was ignored,” a statement from the agency said.

The DSS claims that Sowore knowingly published material intended to incite disorder and tarnish the President’s image, and plans to tender printouts of the posts and DSS correspondence as evidence in court.

The charge further cites Sowore’s Facebook post on August 26, 2025, reiterating similar defamatory allegations, which the DSS says were designed to provoke lawless conduct among the public.

“The accused knowingly published statements defaming the President, which constitutes offences under the Criminal Code Act,” the filing added.

As of this report, no date has been fixed for the arraignment of the defendants, leaving the matter pending before the Federal High Court.