A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered that Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of a motion seeking a stay of execution on the revocation of his bail and a bench warrant earlier issued against him.
Presiding judge, Mohammed Umar, gave the order in a brief ruling and subsequently adjourned the matter to June 24 for hearing of the application.
The motion for stay was filed by Sowore’s new counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN.
The court had earlier, on June 16, revoked the bail granted to Sowore after he failed to appear for trial. Following an oral application by counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Akinkolu Kehinde, SAN, the court also issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Justice Umar, in the same sitting, dismissed an application by the defendant seeking his recusal over alleged bias.
The case stems from charges filed by the Department of State Services, which is prosecuting Sowore over alleged false statements made against President Bola Tinubu, including a social media post describing him as a “criminal” on platforms such as X and Facebook.
Sowore, also publisher of Sahara Reporters, had appeared in court earlier alongside supporters carrying placards before the latest ruling.
Details later…
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