…Fixes May 18 for hearing

Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday overruled a request by Tope Temokun, counsel to activist and politician Omoyele Sowore, seeking a one-month adjournment in a suit against the Department of State Services (DSS) and Meta Platforms Inc..

The judge expressed surprise that the plaintiff’s counsel, who should ordinarily push for speedy adjudication, would request a lengthy adjournment. He subsequently declined the application and fixed May 18 for hearing.

Sowore had, in September, instituted the suit against the DSS, Meta Platforms Inc., and X Corp., alleging unconstitutional censorship of his social media accounts.

He is seeking a declaration that the DSS’s request for Meta to delete posts in which he described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal” violated his fundamental rights.

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

Responding, counsel to the DSS and its Director-General, Akinlolu Kehinde, blamed delays in the case on Meta’s legal team and urged the court to expedite proceedings. He noted that he had been fully prepared and sought an accelerated hearing in the interest of justice.

Although both parties did not oppose the withdrawal and substitution of Meta’s filings, counsel to the DSS urged the court to avoid a prolonged adjournment.

Justice Umar, noting that cases involving citizens’ rights deserve priority, initially allowed Sowore’s counsel to suggest a date. When June 2 was proposed, the judge rejected it as too distant and instead fixed May 18, asserting his authority to determine an appropriate timeline.

In a related development, the same court had on April 2 dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Sowore against the DSS, its Director-General, and Meta Platforms Inc..

The court found the case lacking in merit, resolved all issues against the plaintiff, and awarded ₦1.5 million in costs against him.