Omoyele Sowore, activist and former presidential candidate, has been granted bail in the amount of ₦10 million, with one surety in the same sum.
The judge granted Sowore 24 hours to meet the bail conditions, warning that failure to do so would result in his remand by the police until the bail is perfected.
The surety must be a reputable individual with landed property valued at an amount equivalent to the bail sum.
In ruling on the bail application, the trial judge, Justice Musa Liman, directed Sowore to deposit his international passport with the court’s registrar.
The judge also stipulated that Sowore must meet the bail conditions within 24 hours, or he would be remanded in police custody until the conditions were satisfied.
Sowore had responded to the police invitation on Monday, January 27, 2025, and was questioned at the Force Criminal Investigation Department.
He was granted administrative bail but rejected the conditions, choosing to remain in custody.
He pleaded not guilty to the 16-count charge of alleged cybercrime.
The police accused Sowore of deliberately sending messages via his verified X account (formerly Twitter), in which he referred to the IGP as “illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun.”
The police deemed the publication false and claimed it was intended to incite a breakdown of law and order.
Count three pertains to a statement Sowore allegedly made on December 20, 2024, in which he said: “The illegal IG of Nigeria Police Force, Kayode Egbetokun, will make the next #ENDSARS inevitable! He is working tirelessly towards it. It’s just a matter of time, #EgbetekunMustGo #Revolution.”
He was also accused of publishing a statement referring to the IGP as the “illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun,” knowing it to be false, and tagging the verified Nigeria Police Force X handle @policeNG.
The publication allegedly contained threats intended to incite Nigerian citizens against the Nigeria Police Force and damage the reputation of both the IGP and the force, thereby committing an offense punishable under section 24(2)(c)(ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
In count five, he was accused of publishing on his verified X handle that, “…the current IGP came on board as he surrendered @Policeng to special interests to persecute his adversaries in exchange for an illegal tenure extension that has ruined policing in Nigeria today,” knowing the statement to be false.
The police claim the statement was intended to incite a breakdown of law and order, thus committing an offense under section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and punishable under section 24(2)(c)(ii) of the same Act.
Count 16 alleges that on January 9, 2025, Omoyele Sowore intentionally and knowingly sent a video clip with a message through his verified Facebook page, “Omoyele Sowore,” which included a publication against the Nigeria Police Force reading: “Operation Resist Nigeria Police Force extortion Nigerian highways #RevolutionNow.”
The police claim Sowore knew the publication would incite a breakdown of law and order and turn the public against the Nigeria Police Force. By causing the message to be sent, he allegedly committed an offense under section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, punishable under section 24(2)(c)(i) of the same Act.
Sowore pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against him by the police and his legal team, led by Marshall Abubakar moved an application for his bail on self recognition or on the most liberal terms pending trial.
According to Abubakar, bail is at the discretion of the court and prayed the court to exercise it in favour of Sowore, adding that, the complainant has not shown any reason for denying the applicant bail.
He said, the police has stated that it granted the applicant bail and conceded in its affidavit that Sowore is entitled to bail, pointing out that Sowore has undertaken to stand his trial and will not interfare with the witnesses of the prosecution.
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