For allegedly posting fake information regarding President Bola Tinubu with the intention of upsetting law and order in the nation, Sowore and his co-defendants were scheduled to be docked.
X and Meta incorporated (Facebook) are the other defendants in the lawsuit, ranking second and third, respectively.
In a five-count criminal accusation filed under the case number FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, the plaintiff, the Department of State Services, accused Sowore of abusing President Tinubu through his official X account, @YeleSowore.
The accusation According to Sowore, “This criminal @officialABAT actually traveled to Brazil to declare that corruption in Nigeria has stopped under his rule.” How daring of you to openly lie!
The accused post, which was allegedly made on August 25, 2025, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, is believed to violate Section 24(2)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition and Prevention) Act 2024.
According to count two, Sowore posted the identical remark on his official Facebook site on August 26, 2025, with the intention of causing public unrest, especially among Nigerians who had differing opinions regarding President Tinubu.
He was accused in count three of violating Section 375 of the Criminal Code by using his X account to disseminate derogatory content about the president.
In count four, the Department of State Services, which brought the case on behalf of the federal government, also charged him with violating Section 375 of the Criminal Code by using his Facebook account to post derogatory material against the president.
In count five, he was accused of publishing false material about the president’s reputation with the intention of inciting public fear and unrest, which is against Section 59 of the Criminal Code Act.
Because the government was unable to properly serve Sowore with the charge, the arraignment, which was originally set for September 30, halted at Tuesday’s hearing.
Abubakar Marshall, Sowore’s primary attorney, objected when the case was called, claiming that his client had not been charged as required by law. He added that the arraignment could not take place since the case was a joint charge and the second defendant had not been served.
Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecutions for the Federation and Counsel to the Federal Government, denied the allegation, maintaining that Sowore had been served.
However, trial judge Justice Mohammed Garba investigated the case file and confirmed that service had not been effected.
The judge subsequently granted the DPPF’s request for an order to serve Sowore in public. In court, Sowore accepted the materials.
He then asked for three days, as allowed by law, to research the accusation and get ready to defend himself. Justice Garba granted the request and postponed the arraignment until October 27 in spite of the DPPF’s objections.
“The Court will postpone the defendants’ arraignment until October 27th,” Justice Garba stated.
The third defendant, Meta Platforms (Facebook), was defended by Professor Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), whereas the second defendant, X, was not represented at all.
