The Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a lawsuit filed by Omoyele Sowore against the Department of State Services (DSS), its Director-General, and Meta Platforms Incorporated. The suit, filed in 2025 and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1887/2025, challenged the removal of a Facebook post in which Sowore called President Bola Tinubu a "criminal" and accused him of lying about corruption during a trip to Brazil. Sowore claimed the DSS directed Meta to take down the post and deactivate his account without notice, violating his rights to fair hearing, freedom of expression, and association. He was represented by lawyer Marshall Abubakar.
Justice Mohammed Umar ruled the case lacked merit and dismissed all claims. The court held that the right to fair hearing under Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution applies only to judicial or quasi-judicial proceedings, not actions by Meta or the DSS. On freedom of expression, the judge noted the right is not absolute and can be limited to protect the reputation of others under Section 45 of the Constitution. He stated the DSS and its DG acted within their rights by using Meta's reporting system. The court awarded N500,000 each to the DSS, its DG, and Meta, totalling N1.5 million in costs.
Sowore called the President a criminal and expected the law to shield him from consequence — the court simply confirmed that insults disguised as free speech don't get special protection. The judgment makes clear that Meta's content moderation, even when influenced by state actors, isn't automatically a constitutional breach. For Nigerian social media users, this sets a precedent: naming public figures as criminals online may not be beyond reproach. The ruling won't stop criticism, but it narrows the space for unchecked invective under the banner of free expression.
