SERAP Knocks Tinubu Govt Over Sowore Trial, Demands Immediate Withdrawal of Criminal Defamation Charges
By Passman Akpos
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has raised fresh concerns over what it described as the persistent use of criminal defamation lawsuits by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to target activists, journalists, bloggers, and other Nigerians for peacefully exercising their fundamental human rights.
SERAP’s reaction followed the ruling of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, which dismissed the no-case submission filed by activist Omoyele Sowore in the case instituted against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged cyberbullying of President Tinubu.
In a statement issued after the ruling, SERAP said while it respects the role of the judiciary and the importance of due process, allowing the prosecution to continue raises serious concerns about freedom of expression and democratic accountability in Nigeria.
According to the rights group, the charges against Sowore appear to arise from his peaceful expression of opinions on matters of public interest, stressing that international human rights law places public officials, including heads of state, under a higher threshold of criticism.
“Criminal proceedings based on critical or offensive speech risk undermining democratic accountability and open debate,” SERAP stated.
The organization further warned that the continued prosecution of Sowore could create a chilling effect on journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens seeking to hold those in power accountable.
SERAP noted that the use of broadly framed laws, particularly provisions of the Cybercrimes Act, to punish speech sets a dangerous precedent for civic space and threatens Nigeria’s democratic values.
Citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, SERAP emphasized that every Nigerian has the right to freedom of expression, including the right to hold opinions and share ideas without interference.
The group also referenced Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which guarantee freedom of expression and to which Nigeria is a signatory.
SERAP called on Nigerian authorities to immediately withdraw all criminal defamation charges against Sowore, insisting that such charges are inconsistent with Nigeria’s constitutional and international human rights obligations.
“We urge the Nigerian authorities to immediately withdraw all criminal defamation charges against Sowore as those charges are entirely inconsistent and incompatible with Nigeria’s constitutional and international human rights obligations,” the statement read.
The group also demanded that all similar criminal defamation cases against journalists, activists, human rights defenders, and other Nigerians be dropped without delay.
It further urged authorities to comply fully with the judgment of the ECOWAS Court of Justice on the Cybercrimes Act by repealing repressive provisions of the law, particularly Section 24, which has repeatedly been criticized for being used to suppress dissent.
SERAP also called on the National Assembly to urgently review and amend laws prone to abuse, especially sections of the Cybercrimes Act, to ensure they align with international human rights standards.
The development is expected to reignite national debate over free speech, civic rights, and the use of criminal defamation laws under the Tinubu administration.
