The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest of activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, after he failed to appear for his trial.
Sowore was expected to open his defence in a two-count cybercrime charge filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) over a social media post in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal”.
He had chosen to represent himself in court after his legal team withdrew from the case.
At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Sowore was absent, though he sent a letter informing the court that he had travelled to Lagos in search of new lawyers to defend him.
Following an application by the DSS, Justice Mohammed Umar revoked the bail earlier granted to him and issued a warrant for his arrest.
Sowore had earlier asked the judge to withdraw from the case and have it reassigned, alleging bias. He based his application on Section 36(1)(5)(6) of the 1999 Constitution, citing what he described as unfair treatment in court, including an incident where his lawyer was reportedly asked to kneel.
He also claimed his legal team had withdrawn due to fears of the court’s handling of the matter, including the decision to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis.
“My lawyers indicated to me that they are afraid to appear before you and will no longer appear because of the humiliation they suffered before this court,” he said, adding that he would temporarily represent himself while seeking new counsel.
Sowore was arraigned on December 2, 2025, in a case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The DSS accused him of violating Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b), and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
The alleged offence stemmed from posts made on August 25, 2025, reacting to President Tinubu’s statement in Brazil that corruption had been eliminated in Nigeria.
Following …s, the DSS reportedly demanded that X (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms remove the content and suspend Sowore’s accounts, while also instructing him to delete …s. Non-compliance led to the charges.
The prosecution argues that …s were intended to incite public disorder and damage the President’s reputation. Evidence tendered includes printed copies of …s and DSS correspondence.
X and Meta were initially listed as co-defendants but were later removed from the amended charge.
The charge alleges that Sowore knowingly published messages on his X and Facebook accounts describing President Tinubu as a “criminal,” which the prosecution says he knew to be false and capable of causing a breakdown of law and order.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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