The Sowore cybercrime case took a new turn on Tuesday after the Federal High Court in Abuja restored the bail earlier granted to activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, while imposing fresh conditions for his release. Justice Muhammed Umar ruled that Sowore should be released on bail after previously revoking his self-recognisance bail and ordering his arrest following his failure to appear in court for the continuation of his trial.
In restoring the defendant’s freedom, the court ordered Sowore to provide two sureties who must each undertake a N200 million bail bond. Justice Umar also directed the activist to surrender his international passport before he could regain his freedom from custody. The ruling followed an application filed by Sowore’s new legal team seeking the restoration of his bail and the setting aside of the arrest warrant earlier issued against him.
The court had initially granted Sowore bail on self-recognisance on June 16 before later revoking it after he failed to appear for a scheduled hearing, despite submitting a letter explaining his absence and requesting another date. When proceedings resumed on June 22, the court ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre. Following that decision, Sowore engaged a new legal representative after his previous legal team withdrew from the matter, citing alleged judicial bias.
In his application, brought under Sections 35(4), 36(1) and 66 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as Sections 169 and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, Sowore argued that the earlier orders revoking his bail and issuing a warrant for his arrest were unjustified.
The Sowore cybercrime case stems from a two-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over social media posts in which the activist allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” Sowore pleaded not guilty to the charges on December 2, 2025, in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025.
The prosecution alleges that the posts violated Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b) and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024. According to court documents, the disputed posts were published on August 25, 2025, in response to President Tinubu’s remarks in Brazil that his administration had ended corruption in Nigeria.
The DSS alleged that the social media posts were intended to damage the President’s reputation and incite a breakdown of law and order. As part of its investigation, the agency reportedly requested X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. to remove the posts and suspend Sowore’s accounts. It also directed Sowore to delete the content from all digital platforms.
The prosecution said his alleged failure to comply with those directives resulted in the criminal charges. The exhibits before the court include printed copies of the disputed posts and official correspondence issued by the DSS. Although X Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. were initially listed as co-defendants, they were later removed from the amended charge.
