Activist and politician Omoyele Sowore has formally opened his defence in the ongoing criminal defamation case filed against him by the Nigerian government over alleged cyberbullying of President Bola Tinubu.
Sowore, who is accused of calling the President a “criminal” on social media, called his first witness — Abuja-based lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju — as the trial resumed before Justice Mohammed Umar at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
During proceedings, lead prosecutor, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, urged the court to return Sowore back to Kuje Correctional Centre for failing to fully meet the stringent bail conditions imposed about a week earlier.
The new bail terms include a ₦200 million bail bond, two sureties, one of whom must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community and the deposit of his passport with the court.
Kehinde told the court that the orders of the court “are not to be toyed with by anybody” and that “nobody is above the law.” He noted that Sowore had not communicated any challenges in meeting the conditions nor filed an application to vary them. The prosecutor specifically pointed out that the passport had not been deposited as directed.
In response, Sowore’s lead counsel, Olumide Fusika, SAN, argued that “bail is not for punishment” but to ensure the defendant’s appearance in court. He acknowledged minor administrative delays in verifying documents and recovering the passport from the U.S. Embassy in Lagos — partly due to the Friday holiday marking the U.S.’s 250th anniversary.
Justice Umar had previously released Sowore to his lawyer pending perfection of the bail conditions in order to secure the release of his passport and to tender same in court.
Fusika assured the court that the passport would be deposited before the close of work on Monday and prayed that Sowore remain in his counsel’s care until the next adjourned date.
During the defence’s case, Deji Adeyanju testified that President Tinubu had publicly stated he no longer follows social media and had urged Nigerians to freely criticise and even insult him as part of democratic rights.
Adeyanju referenced remarks allegedly made by the President during an official engagement in Benue State, stating that law enforcement agencies should not oppress critics and that the judiciary should serve as a guardian of the public rather than an instrument of oppression.
Video clips of the President’s remarks were tendered in evidence via flash drive and admitted by the court as exhibits, though they could not be played in court due to the absence of television monitors. The court registry was subsequently mandated to make the monitor available.
The case has been adjourned to July 13, 2026, for continuation of the defence.
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