DSS Files Cybercrime Charges Against Sowore Over Anti-Tinubu Posts

The Department of State Services (DSS) has officially charged activist Omoyele Sowore and two others with cybercrime for allegedly posting false statements aimed at undermining President Bola Tinubu’s reputation and disrupting public order.

The five-count charges were filed on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja and include X (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) as co-defendants. Sowore is accused of using his official X handle (@YeleSowore) and Facebook page to publish a false claim that President Tinubu declared there is no corruption under his administration—an allegation the DSS says was intended to incite division and unrest.

The charges cite violations of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024 and sections of the Criminal Code related to defamation and spreading false information to cause public disturbance.

The Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, signed the charges. No arraignment date has been set yet.

Two weeks before filing, the DSS had warned Sowore and others to remove the offending posts or face legal action.

On August 25, 2025, Sowore tweeted the alleged false information on X, accusing President Tinubu of denying corruption under his administration, violating Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes Act.

On August 26, 2025, he posted the same alleged false claim on Facebook, also violating Section 24(1)(b).

Sowore published the alleged defamatory content on both platforms damaging the president’s reputation, violating Section 375 of the Criminal Code.

The false posts were allegedly intended to cause public fear and unrest, contrary to Section 59 of the Criminal Code.

The case remains pending, with the DSS emphasising zero tolerance for misinformation that threatens national stability.

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