Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate and activist, on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to the 17-count cybercrime charges leveled against him by the Nigerian Police Force.

Sowore, who was arrested by the police on Monday, had been detained at the Intelligence Response Team facility in Abuja after he declined the administrative bail conditions offered by the authorities.

He was summoned to the Force Intelligence Headquarters over accusations of obstructing public officers, cyberstalking, disobedience to lawful orders, and preventing arrests.

During his arraignment before Justice Musa Liman, Sowore denied all the charges, which stemmed from his social media activity.

The charges were filed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, following Sowore’s posts on his verified X account, where he allegedly referred to Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP.”

The first charge stated, “On December 13, 2024, you, Omoyele Sowore, intentionally sent a message via your verified X account, causing a publication against IGP Kayode Egbetokun, calling him ‘illegal IGP.’ You knew the statement was false, and it was intended to incite disorder, violating Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 (as amended 2024).”

The second charge claimed that Sowore used the same platform to send a message calling Egbetokun “illegal IGP” and tagging the official Nigeria Police Force X handle, @policeNG.

This publication allegedly contained threats aimed at inciting Nigerians and damaging the reputation of the police force and its leadership.

A third charge referred to Sowore’s post on December 20, 2024, where he accused Egbetokun of pushing Nigeria toward another #ENDSARS protest, a statement that was also said to be false and capable of causing public unrest.

After pleading not guilty to all counts, Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, requested bail for his client.

Justice Liman adjourned the case until 3:00 p.m. for a ruling on the bail application.

The Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti has struck out the defamation charge filed by the police against Lagos-based lawyer and author, Dele Farotimi.

Presiding over the case, Justice Babs Kuewumi dismissed the charge after the police prosecutor, Samson Osobu, informed the court that the prosecution had decided to discontinue the case.

“The matter was scheduled for hearing today, but we have filed a notice of discontinuance dated January 29, 2025,” Osobu told the court.

With no objections from Farotimi’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, the judge ruled, “This case is hereby struck out.”

Outside the courtroom, Olumide-Fusika confirmed to journalists that the case had been concluded in this court but declined to comment on other related legal matters pending in different courts.

He also stated that he had advised Farotimi not to speak to the press about the case.

Meanwhile, another defamation charge against Farotimi remains pending before the Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti, presided over by Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun.

That case has been adjourned to February 13, 2025, with expectations that the police may also withdraw the charge.

Additionally, multiple civil cases against Farotimi are ongoing at various courts, including the FCT High Court in Abuja and state high courts in Ogun, Oyo, and Rivers.

These suits, filed by lawyers from Afe Babalola Chambers, have led to interim court orders restricting the further printing, publication, or sale of his book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.

It remains uncertain whether these civil cases will also be discontinued.

A Max Air Boeing 737-4D7 aircraft carrying 53 passengers and crew narrowly avoided disaster on Tuesday night when it crash-landed at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano.

The aircraft, with registration number 5N-MBD, overshot the runway at around 9:15 p.m. before losing its front tire, triggering panic among those on board.

The flight, which had taken off from Lagos with a stop in Abuja, ended in a terrifying emergency landing, prompting an urgent evacuation of passengers.

A senior Max Air official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that all passengers and crew members were safely evacuated.

He attributed the incident to a tire burst, citing preliminary findings, but emphasized that regulatory agencies, including the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Aircraft and Equipment Department (AED), had been notified for a full investigation.

The official acknowledged the distress passengers experienced and reassured the public that Max Air remains committed to maintaining high safety standards.

This is not the first safety scare involving the airline.

In December 2024, another Max Air flight (VM1623) made an emergency landing at Muhammadu Buhari International Airport in Maiduguri following an engine fire.

That incident involved 80 passengers, including Borno State’s Deputy Governor, Usman Kadafur.