The Socio‑Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International Nigeria have demanded that President Bola Tinubu immediately withdraw all criminal charges brought against activist Omoyele Sowore and the social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
These charges stem from Sowore’s posts that criticized the president.
In a joint letter dated September 20, 2025, signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare and Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi, the groups urged Tinubu to order security agencies, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS), to cease using legal processes to silence dissent.
The groups also called on the President to direct the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to draft an anti‑SLAPP law for presentation to the National Assembly.
This law would aim to prevent the misuse of lawsuits to stifle public criticism.
Two of the counts against Sowore are under the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act of 2024; the others involve criminal defamation, causing public fear and disturbance under the Criminal Code Act.
These charges were filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 16, following Sowore’s refusal to delete certain posts deemed critical of President Tinubu.
According to SERAP and Amnesty, the legal actions taken in this case are neither necessary nor proportionate.
They argue that they create a chilling effect on free speech and are inconsistent with both Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations.
The groups have given the government seven days to act.
If the charges are not withdrawn within that timeframe, they warn they may pursue legal action through relevant judicial bodies, including possibly the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
