Court Rejects DSS Request To Arrest Sowore, Adjourns Defamation Trial To December 2

Abuja, Nigeria- The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday declined to grant a request by the Department of State Services (DSS) for a bench warrant to arrest activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.

The DSS had sought Sowore’s arrest over his absence in court to face a five-count charge bordering on criminal defamation. The case stems from a social media post in which Sowore allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”

According to the charge, signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Federal Ministry of Justice, M. B. Abubakar, Sowore’s remarks contravened Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and sections 59 and 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

Also listed as second and third defendants in the case (FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025) are X Corporation (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook), the social media companies where the post was published.

The disputed post, dated August 25, followed President Tinubu’s statement during an official visit to Brazil, in which he claimed his administration had successfully eradicated corruption in Nigeria. The DSS, in response, wrote to both platforms demanding that Sowore’s post be removed and his accounts suspended—requests that were not complied with.

Prosecutors allege the post was intended to incite public disorder and tarnish the reputation of the President. Evidence tendered before the court includes printouts of the post and official correspondence between the DSS and the two tech companies.

During Wednesday’s proceedings, DSS counsel Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, urged the court to issue a bench warrant against Sowore for failing to appear and for lacking legal representation, despite a letter from his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, seeking an adjournment.

Counsel for Meta, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, supported the DSS request, claiming Sowore had accused the company of siding with the prosecution. However, X Corporation’s lawyer, Christabel Ndiokwelo, told the court her client had not received a copy of the charge, though it was served a hearing notice.

Justice Mohammed Umar ruled that the proceeding was not ripe for a bench warrant since all defendants had not been properly served. He ordered the prosecution to ensure service of all relevant court documents before the next sitting.

The case was subsequently adjourned to December 2 for Sowore’s arraignment.