Human Rights Lawyer Sues Governor Sanwo-Olu for Blocking Him on X
TEC News | Lagos
A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has dragged the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, before the Federal High Court in Lagos over what he described as a violation of his fundamental rights after being blocked on the governor’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, was filed on Friday and later shared by Ogun on his official Facebook page.
According to the lawyer, Governor Sanwo-Olu blocked him in 2021 following his “constructive criticisms” and consistent “demand for accountability” regarding the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.
“In 2021, I discovered that the Governor had blocked me on his official handle, @jidesanwoolu, because of my criticisms of his policies and my calls for accountability over the #EndSARS massacre,” Ogun said.
He contended that being blocked has denied him access to vital public updates, policy announcements, and governance-related information, thereby infringing on his constitutional right to receive information without interference.
In his originating summons, Ogun is seeking a judicial declaration that the governor’s action was unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory. He asked the court to order Sanwo-Olu to:
1. Unblock him immediately
2. Issue a public apology
3. Desist from targeting critics online
The lawyer further prayed for a perpetual injunction restraining the governor, his aides, or agents from blocking him—or any other Nigerian citizen—on social media platforms.
Describing himself as
“haunted, traumatised and emotionally disturbed”
by the governor’s action, Ogun emphasized that the case goes beyond his personal experience. He argued that it is a public interest litigation meant to establish a strong precedent in digital rights protection.
He urged the court to take guidance from the 2019 U.S. ruling in Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump, where the former American president was found to have violated citizens’ rights by blocking them on Twitter.
Ogun stressed that intolerance to criticism undermines democracy, noting that Nigerian authorities have repeatedly clamped down on dissent through arrests, detention, surveillance, and online restrictions targeting journalists, bloggers, and ordinary citizens.
Advertise with TEC News
