A Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has filed a lawsuit against Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for blocking him on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Ogun told the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) on Saturday that the governor blocked him on March 12, 2021, after he persistently demanded accountability from Sanwo-Olu, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Nigerian Army over the October 20, 2020 #EndSARS shootings at the Lekki Toll Plaza.
In his suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday, Ogun is asking the court to compel the governor to unblock his X account and issue a public apology.
According to the lawyer, Sanwo-Olu’s action violates his fundamental rights to freedom of expression and access to public information. He argued that the governor had routinely used his verified X account, @jidesanwoolu, to announce key government decisions, including the statewide curfew imposed on October 20, 2020, shortly before the Lekki shooting.
“By blocking and preventing me from viewing, retweeting, replying to, and/or liking his posts, the governor has excluded a Nigerian citizen and resident of Lagos from a public forum,” Ogun said. “This has denied me access to vital information about policies and governance in Lagos State.”
The lawyer recalled that after the Lekki Toll Gate incident, where soldiers opened fire on unarmed protesters, he publicly held Sanwo-Olu, Buhari, and the Nigerian Army accountable. He alleged that the governor targeted him specifically for his political opinions and criticism.
Ogun described the block as discriminatory, claiming that Sanwo-Olu has not restricted individuals who praise or commend him on the platform. He further stated that the action has caused him trauma, fear, and emotional distress.
“I am haunted, traumatised and emotionally disturbed by the knowledge that the governor of Lagos State, where I live and work as a young Nigerian professional, has blocked me,” he said. “This lawsuit is imperative for the enforcement of my fundamental rights, preservation of the rule of law, and protection of constitutional democracy.”
The Federal High Court in Lagos is expected to fix a date for the hearing of the case.
