Activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been granted fresh bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja, weeks after his earlier bail was revoked over his failure to appear for trial.
Justice Muhammad Umar, who delivered the ruling on Tuesday, admitted Sowore to bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties.
The court ruled that one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community, while the second must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory.
The judge also ordered Sowore to deposit his international passport with the court registrar pending the conclusion of the trial.
After granting the application, Justice Umar released the defendant to his lawyers and adjourned the case until Monday, July 6, when Sowore is expected to open his defence.
Sowore is standing trial in a case filed by the Department of State Services over alleged cybercrime linked to social media posts in which he reportedly described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.”
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court had, on June 16, revoked Sowore’s earlier bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to attend proceedings.
Sowore had explained that he could not appear because of a prior engagement in Lagos and requested an adjournment.
However, the prosecution, led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), opposed the request and urged the court to continue with the trial.
Following the revocation of his bail, Sowore challenged the bench warrant and sought the trial judge’s recusal.
The application was dismissed, after which he was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his fresh bail application.
In Tuesday’s ruling, Justice Umar restored Sowore’s bail on fresh terms, requiring him to fulfil the N200 million bail bond and meet all conditions before regaining his freedom.
Reacting to the ruling, Sowore said the bail conditions reflected continued efforts by the authorities against him but maintained they would not stop his activism.
“There is no bus on earth that can stop this revolution. We warned them, but they would not listen. But now, it appears a little bit of common sense is returning to them, and as a result, I was granted bail, requiring a traditional ruler, somebody with property in Abuja, and N200m and my international passport.
“They have always been after the passport. So nobody can come after our movement. Nobody can stop the movement. Nobody can stop the idea whose time has come.
“What I want to tell Nigerians is that it is not about my freedom; it is about the liberation of the Nigerian people.”
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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