The Foundation for Digital Justice has sued TikTok Inc. at the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged restrictions affecting users in Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto States.
The suit, filed on October 5 by lawyer Festus Ogun, alleges that millions of users in the four states have experienced restricted or disrupted access to TikTok since September.
According to the affidavit filed in support of the action, users reportedly experienced frozen feeds, failed video loading and difficulties uploading content, while users in other parts of Nigeria continued to access the platform normally.
The Foundation argues that the alleged restriction interferes with the rights to freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination.
It is asking the court to consider the implications of Section 39 and Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution, alongside Articles 9 and 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The organisation is seeking an order compelling TikTok to restore access to users in the affected states and a perpetual injunction preventing similar restrictions without lawful justification.
It also wants the platform to publish an apology in three national newspapers if the court ultimately finds a rights violation.
The case is especially significant because it raises a modern constitutional question: when social-media platforms become central to journalism, business, civic participation and political discussion, can access restrictions themselves become a fundamental-rights issue?
The Foundation argues that posting, replying, reposting and liking content are all forms of expressive conduct.
Those claims have not yet been determined by the court. Related Stories
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