‘Withdraw Charges Against Sowore’ – SERAP, Amnesty Tell Tinubu

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International have urged President Bola Tinubu to “direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN to immediately withdraw the charges against activist Omoyele Sowore, X [formerly Twitter] and Facebook.

They also called on the President to “direct the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security and law enforcement agencies to immediately stop misusing the judicial processes to silence public criticism and violate Nigerians’ rights through the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) or similar forms of harassment.”

They demanded that Mr Fagbemi be directed to urgently prepare an anti-SLAPP legislation for the National Assembly, to protect Nigerians from the weaponization of the justice system by the DSS and other security and law enforcement agencies and to safeguard the right to freedom of expression.

In the letter dated 20 September 2025 and jointly signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare and AI Nigeria director Isa Sanusi, the groups said, “the weaponization of the justice system to crackdown on peaceful dissent is entirely inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations.”

The groups said, “SLAPP and criminal defamation lawsuits are neither necessary nor proportionate under the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party. Such lawsuits generate a chilling effect that inhibits the enjoyment of human rights and circulation of ideas and information.

“A lawsuit challenging the legality and compatibility of the provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act 2024 with the rights to freedom of expression and information is also pending before the ECOWAS Court.

“As a matter of the rule of law, the DSS and other security and law enforcement agencies cannot and should not use the amended Act to silence peaceful dissent pending the hearing and determination of the lawsuit by the court.

“Your government has the legal obligations to prevent harassment through legal processes against Nigerians peacefully exercising their human rights, and to protect the legitimacy, independence and impartiality of the hearing of the lawsuit on the Cybercrimes Act pending before the ECOWAS Court.”