Court Rejects Sowore’s Bid for Long Adjournment in Suit Against DSS, Meta, Fixes May 18 for Hearing

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday declined a request by counsel to activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, for a one-month adjournment in his suit against the Department of State Services (DSS) and Meta Platforms, Inc. over alleged censorship of his social media accounts.

The judge expressed surprise that Tope Temokun, counsel to Sowore, who as plaintiff’s lawyer should ordinarily seek speedy determination of the case, was asking for a lengthy adjournment.

Justice Umar subsequently overruled the request and fixed May 18, 2026, for hearing.

Sowore had in September 2025 instituted the suit against the DSS, its Director-General Oluwatosin Ajayi, Meta Platforms, Inc., and X Corp., accusing them of unconstitutional censorship of his social media accounts.

He is asking the court to declare as unconstitutional the alleged request by the DSS to Meta to delete his posts in which he described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal.”

At Wednesday’s proceedings, Temokun informed the court about the withdrawal and substitution of an earlier application and counter-affidavit by counsel to Meta, listed as the third defendant.

Responding, counsel to the DSS and its Director-General, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), blamed Meta’s legal team for delays in the matter and urged the court to accelerate hearing of the case.

He told the court that he had been fully prepared from the outset and stressed that it was in the interest of justice for the matter to be quickly resolved.

Although both the DSS counsel and Sowore’s lawyer did not oppose the withdrawal and substitution of Meta’s application and counter-affidavit, Kehinde appealed against a prolonged adjournment.

Justice Umar, while noting that courts give priority to cases involving citizens’ fundamental rights, initially allowed Sowore’s counsel to suggest a date. When Temokun proposed June 2, the judge rejected it, insisting that the matter required a much earlier date.

He ruled that given the importance of the case, the court would determine the schedule and directed all parties to return on May 18.

Meanwhile, the same court had on April 2 dismissed another fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Sowore against the DSS, its Director-General, and Meta.

In that judgment, Justice Umar resolved all three issues raised for determination against Sowore, declined all the reliefs sought, dismissed the suit for lacking merit, and awarded N1.5 million in costs against him.