The Federal Government of Nigeria has removed Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook) and Elon Musk’s X Inc. (formerly Twitter) from its amended alleged cyberbullying charges against politician and activist Omoyele Sowore.

The development was disclosed in court filings, showing that the two social media companies are no longer listed as co-defendants in the case. Sowore, a former presidential candidate and publisher of SaharaReporters, is currently facing charges related to alleged cyberbullying and other offenses linked to online публикаtions.

While the original charge sheet had named Meta and X for allegedly enabling or failing to prevent the publication of the disputed content, the amended charges now focus solely on Sowore’s actions. No official reason has yet been given by the prosecution for dropping the tech giants from the suit.

Legal analysts say the move could signal a shift in the government’s strategy, possibly to streamline the case and avoid the legal and diplomatic complexities involved in prosecuting foreign technology companies.

Sowore has repeatedly denied all allegations, describing the charges as politically motivated and an attempt to silence dissent.

The case has been adjourned to a later date for further proceedings.