A Federal High court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, fixed October 27, 2025, for the arraignment of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore over alleged false claim against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by calling him “a criminal”.
The Department of State Services (DSS), had on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, filed a suit accusing Sowore of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act.
Joined as defendants are “X” (formerly Twitter) and Meta Corp (Facebook).
When the case came up for hearing, counsel to Sowore, Marshal Abubakar objected to reading the charges on the ground that the bailiff was not able to serve his client, Sowore.
Abubakar also said that “X” was not represented in court.
But, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, led the team for Meta Corp (Facebook).
Accordingly, the court presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, directed that Sowore be served in court, a move the parties, including Mohammed Babadoko, Director, Public Prosecution of the Federation, did not oppose.
In the charge, Sowore, an activist, and online publisher, is accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024 and the Criminal Code Act.
The charge read: “That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 25th day of August, 2025, did use your official X handle page, @Yele Sowore, to send out a message/tweet as: ‘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 the said message to be false but posted it for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country, especially among individuals, who hold divergent views on the personality of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.
“That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025 did use your official Facebook page, Omoyele Sowore, to send out a message/ post as: ‘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 the said message/post to be false, but posted it for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country, especially among individuals who hold divergent views on the personality of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.
“That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 25th day of August, 2025 using the instrumentality of X, via your official X account @Yele Sowore, did knowingly published defamatory material on your online platform viz: ‘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,’ against the personality and reputation of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.
“That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025 using the instrumentality of Facebook, via your official Facebook account Omoyele Sowore, did knowingly published defamatory material on your online platform viz: ‘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,’ against the personality and reputation of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.
“That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025 with intent to cause public fear and disturbance, published false information on your official X and Facebook accounts @Yele Sowore, respectively, against the personality and reputation of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 59 of the Criminal Code Act and punishable under the same Act,” the charge read.
