A Federal High Court has dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, against the Department of State Services and Meta Platforms Incorporated.
Justice Mohammed Umar ruled yesterday that Sowore’s claims lacked merit, declining to grant any of the reliefs he sought. The suit stemmed from an August 26, 2025, Facebook post in which Sowore referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal,” criticizing the President for claiming there is no more corruption in Nigeria. Following the post, Meta deactivated Sowore’s account, allegedly acting on complaints by the DSS.
Sowore argued that the takedown violated his rights to fair hearing, freedom of expression, and freedom of association under Sections 36(1), 39, and 40 of the 1999 Constitution.
However, Justice Umar held that the DSS, its DG, and Meta are non-judicial bodies, and the right to a fair hearing applies only in judicial proceedings. He also emphasized that freedom of expression is not absolute and can be restricted to protect the rights, reputation, or privacy of others.
The judge further clarified that Meta acted independently under its platform policies, and the DSS merely utilized reporting channels to flag content it deemed inappropriate.
On the reliefs sought, Justice Umar concluded that Sowore failed to establish that his constitutional rights were threatened, dismissing the suit in its entirety. The court also awarded N1.5 million in costs against Sowore, N500,000 to each respondent, following requests for legal costs by their counsel.
