Court grants Sowore ₦200m bail in cybercrime trial, sets July 6 for defence

Court grants Sowore ₦200m bail in cybercrime trial, sets July 6 for defence

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted ₦200 million bail to Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), in his ongoing cybercrime and criminal defamation trial.

Justice Mohammed Umar, who delivered the ruling on Tuesday, admitted Sowore to bail with two sureties in like sum.

As part of the bail conditions, the court directed that one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, while the second must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The judge further ordered that both sureties must be verified by the prosecution counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), before the bail can take effect.

In addition, Justice Umar directed Sowore to deposit his international passport with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court for safekeeping pending the conclusion of the trial.

However, Sowore’s lawyer, R.O. Adakole, informed the court that his client’s passport was currently with the United States Embassy in Lagos for visa processing. Following the explanation, the judge granted the request that Sowore be released to his legal team to facilitate the retrieval of the passport before complying with the court’s order.

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The court subsequently adjourned the matter until July 6, 2026, when Sowore is expected to begin presenting his defence.

Before ruling on the bail application, Justice Umar dismissed a separate application filed by Sowore seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case over alleged bias.

Sowore had argued that the court could no longer guarantee him a fair hearing following the revocation of his earlier bail and the issuance of a bench warrant against him. The court, however, held that the application lacked merit and declined to recuse itself from the proceedings.

The activist was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre on June 16, 2026, after Justice Umar revoked the bail earlier granted to him on self-recognition in December 2025.

The court also issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for trial in the case.

At the previous hearing, Justice Umar declined to immediately restore Sowore’s bail and instead fixed June 30 for ruling on his application seeking to set aside the revocation order and the bench warrant.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is prosecuting Sowore on charges bordering on cybercrime and criminal defamation.

According to the prosecution, the activist allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” in posts published on his verified X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts.

Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges, insisting that the case is politically motivated and that his comments were protected under the constitutional right to freedom of expression.

Security was heightened around the Federal High Court complex in Abuja during Tuesday’s proceedings, with operatives of the DSS and the Nigerian Correctional Service maintaining a strong presence while supporters of the activist gathered outside the court.

The July 6 hearing is expected to mark the commencement of the defence in one of Nigeria’s most closely watched cybercrime cases involving a prominent opposition figure.

Court grants Sowore ₦200m bail in cybercrime trial, sets July 6 for defence