Sanwo-Olu unblocks human rights lawyer on X after peace meeting

Human rights lawyer Festus Ogun has finally been unblocked by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on X (formerly Twitter), ending a standoff that began nearly four years ago.

Ogun revealed on Saturday that he was invited to Lagos House, Marina, where he met briefly with the governor to amicably resolve his long-running complaint of human rights violations. According to him, Sanwo-Olu took time to explain why he had blocked the outspoken lawyer in the first place.

“I’m grateful to my excellent lawyer, Desmond Tobe Oris, who stood by me throughout the mediation meeting,” Ogun shared, before affirming that his fight for accountability was far from over. “Aluta continua!”

The development comes after Ogun dragged the Lagos governor to court for blocking him on the social media platform in 2021. In his suit before the Federal High Court, Lagos, Ogun argued that the governor’s action violated his constitutional rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

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The lawyer, who is also a rights activist, maintained that being blocked deprived him of access to governance-related updates and caused him emotional distress. He sought declarations that the action was unconstitutional and discriminatory, alongside an order compelling the governor to unblock him and desist from blocking other citizens for expressing dissent.

Ogun anchored his case on sections of the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and even referenced a U.S. precedent, Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump, where a court ruled that a public official’s blocking of critics on Twitter infringed on their rights.

Saturday’s meeting, which ended with Sanwo-Olu extending an olive branch, marks the closure of a contentious chapter. But for Ogun, it is also a reminder of why activism matters. “We will continue to hold authorities accountable, regardless,” he vowed.

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