A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted activist Omoyele Sowore bail on self-recognition, with the judge warning him against making statements that could provoke public unrest or incite Nigerians against President Bola Tinubu.
Justice Mohammed Umar issued the order on Tuesday after Sowore was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a five-count charge related to alleged cybercrime.
The charges stem from claims that Sowore made derogatory posts about President Tinubu across his social media platforms.
Sowore, who leads the #RevolutionNow movement, entered a plea of not guilty after the charges were read.
Earlier in the session, his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, had challenged the competence of the suit, insisting that the court lacked jurisdiction.
The prosecution objected, noting it had only just received the defence’s filings and needed time to submit a response.
Justice Umar agreed, ruling that the issue of jurisdiction could not be heard immediately and that the prosecution must be given adequate time to file its counter-affidavit.
The court then proceeded with Sowore’s arraignment.
Following his not-guilty plea, the defence applied for bail on self-recognition, while the prosecution argued that Sowore might jump bail.
Justice Umar ultimately granted the request and adjourned the case until January 19, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
This case follows an earlier legal clash in September, when the DSS filed charges against Sowore over similar social-media-related allegations concerning Tinubu.
In response, Sowore instituted a counter-suit against the DSS, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter), accusing them of violating his rights and imposing what his lawyers described as unconstitutional censorship.
His legal team argued that attempts by security agencies to influence or control political speech online pose a threat to democratic freedoms.
Lawyer Tope Temokun stressed that Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, asserting that “no security agency, no matter how powerful, has the authority to silence citizens or curtail their right to critique those in power.”
