Ambassador Adebayo Lion Ogorry a public advocacy practitioner and activist known for promoting national security, public order, and responsible civic engagement has filed a lawsuit at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, against Sahara Reporters Limited and its publisher, Omoyele Sowore, over what he describes as a false and dangerous publication capable of undermining Nigeria’s national security.
The suit, marked FCT/HC/CV/4767/2025, was filed on 24 November 2025. It challenges a Sahara Reporters article published on 19 November 2025 under the headline “EXCLUSIVE: How Tinubu’s Defence Minister Matawalle Maintains Contact With Bandit Leaders, Ordered Them To Compel Communities To Vote For APC — Former Aide.”
Ambassador Ogorry says the report makes grave and unfounded allegations against the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle. The article claims the Minister maintains illicit contact with bandit leaders, directs communities to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC), and engages in actions that undermine national counter-terrorism operations. He argues that the claims were deliberately framed to stir public anger, create fear, promote hatred, and destabilise the country.
In his originating summons and affidavit, he explains that the report was widely circulated across Sahara Reporters’ website and its major social media channels, including X, Facebook, and WhatsApp. He says the publication violates Section 39(3)(a) of the Constitution, which prohibits speech that threatens public safety, national security, and public order. He also argues that it breaches Section 24(1)(a) and (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015, which forbids the spread of false and harmful information capable of causing public alarm or ill-will.
Ambassador Ogorry says the publication has harmed the reputation of the Minister and has placed ongoing counter-terrorism operations at risk. He believes it encourages distrust in security institutions, exposes the Minister to danger, and undermines the morale of armed forces fighting terrorism in the North-West. He insists that such consequences amount to an attack on the country’s internal security framework and fall outside the scope of constitutionally protected free expression.
The lawsuit asks the court to declare the publication false, misleading, malicious, and not protected under Section 39(1) of the Constitution. It also seeks a ruling that the article constitutes restricted speech under Section 39(3)(a) due to its implications for national security and public order. Ambassador Ogorry is also asking the court to affirm that the publication violates Section 24(1)(a) and (b) of the Cybercrimes Act.
He is seeking an injunction restraining Sahara Reporters, Sowore, and their agents from further circulating the publication or producing similar content about Dr Matawalle. He also wants the court to order a full retraction and a 14-day public apology on the platform’s website and social media channels. In addition, he is demanding ₦10 billion in general and exemplary damages for what he says is a reckless and harmful report aimed at undermining national security and public order.
Ambassador Ogorry says the Sahara Reporters story relied on unverified claims from an unnamed “former aide” and contains no official document or credible evidence. He cites previous cases, including President FRN v. ISA (2017) and Guardian Newspapers v. AIEH (2011), arguing that freedom of expression does not extend to reckless journalism that endangers national stability.
He says the lawsuit is not only about addressing a false claim but also about protecting Nigeria’s democracy and ensuring that public officials are not subject to baseless allegations that could inflame insecurity or weaken state institutions. He maintains that Sahara Reporters and its publisher must be held responsible for promoting misinformation with the potential to destabilise the country.
The case has been assigned to the Abuja Judicial Division and will be heard in due course. Ambassador Ogorry says he is confident that the judiciary will uphold justice and reinforce standards of responsible journalism.
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