Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out Meta Platforms Inc. and X Corp. as defendants in the amended cyberstalking charges filed by the Department of the State Services (DSS) against activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
The ruling was delivered on Monday during Sowore’s re-arraignment, following an application by the prosecution to withdraw the two foreign tech companies from the case. Counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), informed the court that the federal government would no longer proceed against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and X Corp., owner of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
In a brief ruling, Justice Umar approved the request and ordered the names of the two companies struck out as co-defendants in the suit.
Sowore is now standing trial alone on a two-count amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, filed on December 5, 2025, and signed by Kehinde on behalf of the federal government. The charges relate to alleged cyberstalking and defamation arising from posts made on Sowore’s official X and Facebook accounts.
According to the charge, Sowore allegedly posted a message on August 25, 2025, describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal” in relation to comments the President made in Brazil about corruption in Nigeria. The prosecution claims that the message was knowingly false and published with the intent to cause a breakdown of law and order, posing a threat to life.
The alleged offences are said to be contrary to Section 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b) and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, and are punishable by a minimum fine of ₦15 million or up to five years’ imprisonment.
When the charges were read in court, Sowore pleaded not guilty to both counts.
However, the commencement of trial was stalled after Sowore’s counsel, Abubakar Marshall, objected to the prosecution’s proof of evidence, arguing that it failed to include the names and particulars of prosecution witnesses as required by law. He contended that the omission violated Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to fair hearing.
Efforts by the prosecution to address the concerns in court proved unsuccessful, prompting Justice Umar to adjourn the matter to January 22.
The judge ordered the prosecution to comply fully with legal requirements by providing the names and details of intended witnesses, as well as all relevant documents needed to enable the defence prepare adequately for trial.
The case continues.
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