Human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, has filed a lawsuit challenging what he describes as unconstitutional censorship of his social media accounts allegedly carried out by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The suit, signed by his lawyer, Tope Temokun Esq, was made public by Sowore in a statement he shared on his X platform on Wednesday, September 16, 2025.
In the suit, Sowore accused the DSS of pressuring global platforms, Meta (owners of Facebook and Instagram) and X (formerly Twitter), to restrict or block his accounts, preventing him from exercising his constitutional right to free expression.
According to the court filings, Sowore’s legal team argues that the case is not just about him but about the future of free speech in Nigeria. “If state agencies can dictate to global platforms who may speak and what may be said, then no Nigerian is safe,” the suit reads.
The lawyers insist that censorship of political criticism has no place in a democracy. They cited Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of expression without interference.
“No security agency, no matter how powerful, can suspend or delete those rights,” they said.
The suit also warns Meta and X against bowing to unlawful demands from government agencies. By doing so, the lawyers argue, the companies would be complicit in suppressing liberty and silencing dissenting voices.
The prayers before the court include:
- A declaration that the DSS has no legal power to censor Nigerians on social media.
- An order that Meta and X must not allow their platforms to be used as tools of repression.
- A protection of Sowore’s rights, and by extension, the rights of all Nigerians, against unlawful censorship.
The legal team further called on journalists, human rights defenders, and citizens to resist attempts to stifle free speech.
“Today it is Sowore,” the statement concluded, “tomorrow it may be you.”
