Human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has taken Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to court for allegedly violating his fundamental rights by blocking him on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.

The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1739/25, was filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos and shared by Ogun on Friday via his Facebook page.

He claimed the governor’s decision to block him since 2021 was a response to his “constructive criticisms” and “demand for accountability” over the October 2020 #EndSARS killings.

“In 2021, I noticed that the Governor blocked me on his official X handle @jidesanwoolu owing to my constructive criticisms of his policies and demand for accountability in respect of the October 2020 #EndSARS Massacre.”

Ogun said the action has prevented him from accessing vital government updates and information.

“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.

In his originating summons, he asked the court to declare the move unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.

The lawyer is seeking a declaration that as a democratically elected public office holder, Sanwo-Olu’s decision to block him is unlawful.

He also prayed the court to compel the governor to unblock him, issue a public apology, and desist from targeting critics online.

He further requested an order of perpetual injunction restraining Sanwo-Olu, his agents, or anyone acting on his behalf from blocking him or other citizens on X or any other social media platform.

Ogun described himself as “haunted, traumatised and emotionally disturbed” but stressed that the matter transcends his personal experience. He noted that the lawsuit was in the public interest and aimed at setting a precedent in digital rights protection.

Citing a 2019 ruling in the United States, he urged the Nigerian court to be persuaded by the decision in Knight First Amendment Institute v Trump, where the former president was found to have violated the First Amendment by blocking citizens on Twitter.

He argued that intolerance to criticism erodes democracy, adding that Nigerian authorities have consistently cracked down on dissent, journalists, bloggers, and vocal citizens on social media through arrests, detention, surveillance, and online restrictions. (Nigerian Tribune)