The arraignment of activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, on charges of defaming President Bola Tinubu, was stalled on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The court ruled that the charges were not properly served on the defendants.
The five-count charge, filed on September 23, also listed X Corp (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms (Facebook) as co-defendants. The case is marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025.
Sowore, founder of Sahara Reporters and a former presidential candidate, had on August 25 described Tinubu as a “criminal” while reacting to the president’s anti-corruption remarks during a visit to Brazil.
DSS Orders Retraction, Sowore Refuses
Before filing charges, the DSS had written to X, demanding the immediate suspension of Sowore’s verified account. The secret police also directed him to retract his post, publish public apologies in at least two national newspapers and two TV stations, and submit a formal apology letter to its Abuja headquarters.
Sowore refused, a decision that triggered the criminal charges now in court.
Tuesday’s Proceedings
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Sowore’s lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, objected to his client taking a plea. He argued that Sowore had not been personally served with the charges, a legal requirement before trial can begin.
Although the prosecution claimed that all defendants had been served, Justice Umar Muhammad checked the court records and confirmed that Sowore himself had not received the charges directly. Meta and X were only served electronically via email.
To resolve this, the prosecution served Sowore in court during the session. But his lawyer insisted that the law requires at least three clear days after service before an arraignment can proceed. The judge agreed, ruling that Sowore must be given time to study the charges.
Meta’s lawyer, Mofeso Oyetibo, also raised concerns, noting that there was no actual charge listed against the company despite being dragged into the suit.
After the back and forth, Justice Muhammad adjourned the case to October 27, 2025, for Sowore and the other parties to formally take their pleas.
