ABUJA: Two prominent human rights groups, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International Nigeria, have called on President Bola Tinubu to immediately order the withdrawal of criminal charges filed against activist Omoyele Sowore, as well as social media companies X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, over posts deemed critical of the president.
The appeal was contained in a joint letter dated September 20, 2025, signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare and Amnesty International Nigeria Director Isa Sanusi.
The groups accused the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies of “misusing judicial processes to silence dissent.
They urged Tinubu to ensure that law enforcement agencies desist from filing Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), warning that such tactics threaten free speech and democratic accountability.
They also called on the president to instruct Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to introduce an anti-SLAPP law before the National Assembly to prevent the use of frivolous lawsuits to stifle criticism.
“The weaponisation of the justice system to crack down on peaceful dissent is inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations,” the groups stated.
The Federal Government had on September 16 lodged a case at the Federal High Court, Abuja, against Sowore and the two tech giants after he allegedly refused to delete posts critical of Tinubu.
According to SERAP and Amnesty:
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Two counts were brought under the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024.
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Three other charges — criminal defamation, causing public fear, and disturbance — were filed under the Criminal Code Act.
The groups warned that such prosecutions could create a “chilling effect” on free expression and public debate.
The letter also highlighted a pattern of SLAPP suits initiated by the DSS against critics, including cases involving Professor Pat Utomi and SERAP itself, describing them as attempts to intimidate Nigerians exercising their fundamental rights.
Citing rulings by the ECOWAS Court of Justice and international human rights bodies, the groups stressed that criminal defamation and vague cybercrime provisions are “neither necessary nor proportionate in a democracy.
They reminded Tinubu of his Democracy Day speech in June, where he pledged that “no one should bear the brunt of injustice for merely writing a bad report about me or calling me names.
SERAP and Amnesty gave the government seven days to comply with their demands, warning that they would pursue further legal actions including at the ECOWAS Court if the charges were not dropped.
“Freedom of expression is not only the cornerstone of democracy but also indispensable to a thriving civil society, the groups concluded.
