Activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has been granted bail in the sum of ₦10 million by the Federal High Court in Abuja. The bail was granted on Thursday following his arraignment over alleged cybercrime charges filed by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Justice Musa Liman, who presided over the case, ruled that Sowore must provide one surety in the same amount and submit his international passport to ensure his presence at future court proceedings. The court has scheduled April 8, 2025, for the commencement of the trial.
The legal battle began on Wednesday when Sowore was arraigned on an amended 16-count charge related to comments he made about IGP Kayode Egbetokun on social media. The charges, filed under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/23/2025, accused him of making derogatory statements about the police chief on his X (formerly Twitter) handle.
One of the charges alleged that on December 20, 2024, Sowore referred to Egbetokun as “the illegal IG of Nigeria Police Force.” Another charge pointed to a post in which he shared the police chief’s picture with a caption criticizing the country’s leadership. The police also accused him of stating that Egbetokun would “destroy the Nigeria Police if we don’t act now.”
During Wednesday’s hearing, Sowore pleaded not guilty to all the charges. His lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, applied for bail, arguing that his client had a right to it and posed no flight risk. He stated that Sowore had already been granted bail by the police and that there was no justification for denying him freedom.
Abubakar further noted that Sowore had given assurances that he would attend his trial and would not interfere with the prosecution’s witnesses.
However, the prosecution, led by Uddy Jonathan, opposed the bail request. Jonathan submitted a 25-paragraph counter-affidavit urging the court to reject the application. He argued that bail should not be granted “in a vacuum” and claimed that Sowore had not provided sufficient proof that he would appear for trial. The prosecution suggested that if bail was granted, it should come with strict conditions to ensure his presence in court.
Despite the opposition, Justice Liman ruled in favor of Sowore’s bail request with the condition that he must provide a surety and submit his passport. Until the bail conditions are met, Sowore will remain in custody.
