Former presidential candidate and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, was on Tuesday arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged cybercrime offences linked to a social media post in which he described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal”.
Sowore is facing five counts of criminal defamation. Meta (Facebook) Inc. and X Corp. (formerly Twitter) were also joined as co-defendants.
According to the charges filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, the DSS accused Sowore of publishing false and defamatory statements against the President through his verified social media accounts.
The arraignment had previously been stalled twice. Last November, DSS counsel, Akinolu Kehinde (SAN), sought a bench warrant after Sowore failed to appear, but Justice Mohammed Umar declined.
At Tuesday’s sitting, Sowore’s lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, challenged the competence of the charges, insisting that a preliminary objection already filed should be determined first. Counsel for Meta and X Corp. did not oppose the proceedings.
While Abubakar argued that Sowore could not take a plea until the objection was resolved, Kehinde countered that the defence was attempting to delay the case. Citing Section 396(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, he urged the court to proceed with the plea.
Justice Umar agreed, and Sowore pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
Following the plea, the defence moved a bail application, urging the court to admit Sowore on self-recognition or other liberal terms. Abubakar described his client as a responsible citizen who had just been elected chairman of a major political party, the African Action Congress (AAC), adding that his passport was already in the court’s custody.
The DSS opposed the application, citing a 40-paragraph counter-affidavit and alleging that Sowore had previously violated court orders.
Justice Umar, however, granted bail on self-recognition but barred Sowore from making statements that could threaten national unity or peace, warning that the bail would be revoked if he breached the directive.
The case was adjourned to January 19, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
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