00:00Two separate courts in the Nigeria Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Tuesday fixed October 27 and November 20, 2025 for the commencement of the lawsuits brought before them by the founder and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omiele Sawari and the Department of State Service.
00:18The SS over-issue of posts published on X and Facebook social media platforms that allegedly described President Bola Ahmed Tanubu as a criminal after the President allegedly said there is no more corruption in Nigeria while the President was speaking at an event in Brazil in the month of August, 2025.
00:37According to Omiele Sawari's lawyer, Tote Temokan, today, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, proceedings commenced in the historic cases filed by rights activist Omiele Sawari challenging the clampdown on free speech and political expression by the Department of State Services, SSS, in collusion with global social media giants Meta, Facebook, Instagram, and X Corporation, Twitter.
01:04The suits are, Omiele Sawari vs. SSS and Meta, FHC, ABJ, CS, 1887-2025.
01:15Omiele Sawari vs. SSS and X Corporation, FHC, ABJ, CS, 1888-2025.
01:24Sawari was represented by a formidable team of lawyers, led by Tote Temokan, Abu Bakr Marshall, Alexander Akheta, Dr. S.M. Oyaher, Dr. Maxwell Opara, Akin Sawari, and Akoje Saber.
01:41Representation for the respondents, Meta appeared through Mephesimo Teo Yetibo, San, X Corporation and the DSS had no counsel present in court.
01:51Proceedings. The court granted motions ex-party filed by Sawari's counsel for leave to serve Meta and X Corporation outside jurisdiction through electronic means.
02:03The originating motion against Meta was also served in court on Meta's counsel.
02:07Adjournment. The court adjourned both matters to November 20, 2025, for hearing.
02:15These suits filed, following the DSS attempted censorship of Sawari's social media post, calling the president a criminal,
02:23mark a significant stand against both local repression and international collaboration in silencing dissenting voices.
02:29Sawari insists that no government agency or foreign corporation has the right to muzzle Nigerians in the digital space,
02:37Barrister Tote Temokan stated on September 30, 2025.
02:42At a separate court where the federal government of Nigeria filed a five-count charges against the news media publisher,
02:49Omiyele Sawari and the DSS had planned to arraign the publisher before the court.
02:54Vanguard newspaper reported that, when the matter came up, Sawari's counsel, Marshal Abu Bakar, objected to the charges being read,
03:03arguing that his client had not been properly served.
03:06He also noted the absence of legal representation for X.
03:11However, Meta was represented in court by a team led by senior advocate of Nigeria, Teo Ayetebo.
03:18Justice Muhammad Umar, presiding, directed that Sawari be served in court, an order not opposed by any of the parties,
03:27including Muhammad Babadoko, Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation.
03:32The court then adjourned the case to October 27 for commencement of trial.
03:37Punch newspaper also reported that, the DPPF then applied for an order to serve Sawari in open court, which the judge granted.
03:45Sawari accepted the documents in court.
03:49He subsequently requested three days, as provided by law, to study the charge and prepare his defense.
03:56While the DPPF objected, Justice Garber upheld the request and adjourned the arraignment to October 27.
04:04The court will adjourn to the 27th day of October for the arraignment of the defendants, Justice Garber said.
04:10The suit dated the 16th of September 2025, was lodged after Sawari allegedly refused to delete the controversial posts about the president.
04:20The Sahara Reporter's publisher was accused of using his official X handle to make the post.
04:26This criminal at official PBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria.
04:34What audacity to lie shamelessly, the alleged offending post, said to be contrary to Section 24, 2, B, of the Cybercrimes Prohibition and Prevention Act 2024, was said to have been made on August 25 within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.
04:52The charges were brought on behalf of the DSS and the Federal Government by M.B. Abu Bakr, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, alongside four other counsel to the DSSM.
05:07E. Ernest, U.B. Buller, Dr. C.S., EZ, and E.G. Ourobor, Social Media Companies X Incorporation and Meta Platforms Incorporation are listed as co-defendants.
05:20Confirming the legal action in a Facebook post last week, Sawari wrote,
05:25The State Security Service, alias at Officials Inc. today filed a five-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against, X, formerly Twitter Facebook, and myself.
05:38They claimed that because I called Asawadju Bola Ahmed Tanubu a criminal, I have somehow committed a set of, novel, offenses they invented and spread across five counts.
05:48It's hard to believe there's anyone sensible left in these offices that should be making Nigeria work.
05:55Regardless, I will be present whenever this case is assigned for trial.
06:00Revolutiono, Punch Online had earlier reported that the human rights activist and African Action Congress candidate in the 2023 election vowed not to delete the controversial tweet,
06:11despite a request from the DSS to X demanding its removal.
06:15Restating his stance, Sawari wrote,
06:18This morning, X, formerly Twitter, officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my tweet on Tanubu.
06:28One option I will not be taking is deleting the tweet.
06:31Thank you, at X.
06:33Outsράs who are on level, bringing you the news in a more digital way.
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