By David Oluyide
The Foundation for Digital Justice and Sustainable Development has instituted a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged restrictions affecting access to TikTok in parts of northern Nigeria.
The case comes amid reports of difficulties accessing the social media platform in Kano, Kaduna, Kebbi and Sokoto states although no official ban has been confirmed.
Users in the affected areas have reportedly experienced problems loading videos, refreshing their feeds and uploading content through regular mobile-data connections.
For this reason, a number of users appear to have resorted to using virtual private networks (VPNs) to continue operations.
Third Lens observed that VPN had been trending on X recently as social media users in the North continued to lament alleged access restrictions.
Reports of the disruption emerged around September 14, with some affected users saying they could access TikTok after connecting to virtual private networks.
The foundation is therefore seeking legal intervention over what it considers an unexplained disruption to access to the platform.
The summons was filed by Festus Ogun, counsel to the applicant.
In the suit, the foundation asked the court to determine whether TikTok’s alleged restriction or geoblocking of users in Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano and Sokoto violated their constitutional right to freedom of expression.
The applicant also asked the court to determine whether restricting access to TikTok in the four northern states, while users in southern states continued to have access to the platform, amounted to discrimination.
The suit was brought pursuant to Sections 39, 42, 45 and 46 of the 1999 Constitution, as altered, as well as provisions of the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure Rules 2009 and Articles 2 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act 2004.
The foundation, through the suit, is asking the court to declare the alleged restriction or geoblocking of TikTok users in the affected states, without lawful justification, “wrongful, unconstitutional” and arbitrary.
It is also seeking a declaration that the alleged restriction constitutes a violation of the right to freedom from discrimination, arguing that the restriction was not applied to other parts, territories, regions, geopolitical zones, ethnic groups or states in Nigeria.
The applicant is further asking the court to order TikTok to immediately remove the alleged restriction preventing users in Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano and Sokoto from accessing and using the platform.
It is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining TikTok, its directors, shareholders, agents, representatives and others acting on its behalf from further restricting users in the affected states or any other part of Nigeria from accessing the platform without lawful justification.
In addition, the foundation is asking the court to order TikTok to publish a public apology in three newspapers with nationwide circulation over what it described as the alleged violation of the applicant’s fundamental rights to freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination.
The suit, which names TikTok Inc., with an address in Culver City, California, United States, as the respondent, gives the company five days after service of the originating summons, inclusive of the day of service, to enter an appearance.
The application was dated October 5, 2026, in Abuja.
The court is also being asked to make any further orders it considers appropriate in the circumstances of the suit.
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