Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday granted bail to activist Omoyele Sowore on self-recognition, with a stern warning to refrain from making statements capable of inciting the public against President Bola Tinubu.
Sowore was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime. The prosecution alleges that he made derogatory posts about President Tinubu on his social media platforms.
The #RevolutionNow convener pleaded not guilty after the charges were read.
Earlier, Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, challenged the competence of the suit, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction. The prosecution countered that it had just been served the defence processes and needed time to reply. Justice Umar agreed, ruling that the objection was not ripe for hearing and directing that the prosecution be given adequate time to file its response.
Following Sowore’s plea, his counsel requested bail on self-recognition. The prosecution objected, claiming he posed a flight risk. The judge, however, granted the request and adjourned the matter to January 19, 2026, for trial.
Sowore is already engaged in a separate legal battle with the DSS, Meta, and X over what he describes as unlawful censorship of his social media accounts. His legal team argues that the actions of state agencies amount to unconstitutional suppression of free expression.
His lawyer, Tope Temokun, said the case concerns “the survival of free speech in Nigeria,” warning that if security agencies can dictate what global platforms must allow, “no Nigerian is safe.”
“Censorship of political criticism is alien to democracy. Section 39 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of expression. No security agency, no matter how powerful, can suspend or delete those rights,” Temokun said.
