Amnesty, SERAP Ask Tinubu to Withdraw Charges Against Sowore, Social Media Platforms

By Jeremy Fregene

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International Nigeria have called on President Bola Tinubu to order the withdrawal of criminal charges against activist Omoyele Sowore, as well as social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, over alleged critical posts about the President.

In a joint letter dated September 20, 2025, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare and Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi, the groups urged Tinubu to stop the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies from misusing judicial processes to silence dissent. They also asked him to direct Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to propose an anti-SLAPP law before the National Assembly to prevent the use of lawsuits to stifle public criticism.

The groups described the “weaponization of the justice system to crack down on peaceful dissent” as inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations. According to them, two of the counts against Sowore were filed under the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024, while three others, including criminal defamation and causing public disturbance, were brought under the Criminal Code Act. The charges were lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja on September 16, following Sowore’s alleged refusal to delete posts critical of Tinubu.

They warned that SLAPP and criminal defamation lawsuits are neither necessary nor proportionate, and have a chilling effect that discourages free expression. They noted that a suit challenging the legality of the Cybercrimes Act is already pending before the ECOWAS Court of Justice and stressed that the government must not use the law to silence peaceful dissent.

The letter reminded Tinubu of his past public commitments to uphold freedom of expression, citing his inaugural address and June 12 Democracy Day speech where he affirmed that criticism, no matter how harsh, should not attract persecution. The groups also recalled a 2022 ECOWAS Court ruling declaring section 24 of the Cybercrime Act “arbitrary, vague, and repressive,” and ordering Nigeria to repeal it.

The organisations expressed concern that recent amendments to the Act have not cured its flaws, particularly vague provisions on cyberstalking and public order, which they said could be abused to punish legitimate criticism. They warned that using SLAPP and criminal defamation lawsuits to target dissent threatens democracy and undermines the rule of law.

Citing previous cases involving Professor Pat Utomi, SERAP, and other individuals targeted by the DSS, the groups said there is a growing trend of using legal harassment to silence critics. They urged the President to act within seven days of receiving their letter, failing which they would pursue appropriate legal action, including at the ECOWAS Court.