A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, against the State Security Services (SSS), its Director-General and Meta Platforms Incorporated (formerly Facebook).
Delivering judgment, Justice Mohammed Umar resolved all three issues identified for determination against Sowore and held that the case lacked merit.
Sowore had challenged the removal of a Facebook post he made on August 26, 2025, in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal,” as well as the deactivation of his account.
He alleged that Meta acted on the directive of the SSS and its Director-General, thereby violating his rights to fair hearing, freedom of expression and association.
On the issue of fair hearing, the Court held that Sowore’s claim was misplaced, noting that the right applies only to proceedings before a Court or Tribunal established by law.
Justice Umar stated that decisions taken by non-judicial bodies, such as those complained of in the case, do not fall within the scope of Section 36(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
The judge further ruled that the actions of the SSS and its Director-General in reporting the post to Meta, and Meta’s subsequent decision to remove the content and deactivate the account, did not amount to a breach of Sowore’s rights to freedom of expression or association under Sections 39 and 40 of the Constitution.
He emphasised that fundamental rights are not absolute, adding that the law permits restrictions on expression where necessary to protect the rights and reputation of others.
Justice Umar also held that Meta acted independently, in line with its internal policies, and not under compulsion from the SSS.
On the final issue, the Court found that Sowore failed to establish his claims or justify the declaratory reliefs he sought, stressing that such reliefs must be supported by credible evidence.
Consequently, the Court dismissed the suit in its entirety for lacking merit.
The trial judge also awarded a total cost of N1.5 million against Sowore, with N500,000 granted to each of the three respondents.
(Editor: Ken Eseni)
