Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the remand of human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore over his failure to meet the conditions attached to the N200 million bail granted to him on June 30, 2026. At the resumed hearing of Sowore's alleged defamation trial on Monday, 6 July 2026, prosecuting counsel Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN) informed the court that the defendant had yet to perfect the bail terms nearly one week after the order was granted, and urged the judge to remand him at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending compliance.
Justice Mohammed Umar had on June 30, 2026, admitted Sowore to bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties in like sum, following the revocation of his earlier "self-recognition" bail on June 16, 2026, after he failed to appear for trial. Under the conditions, one surety must be a traditional ruler from Sowore's community in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State, while the second must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory. Sowore was also ordered to deposit his international passport with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
Kehinde argued that although the court had released Sowore to his lawyer pending bail perfection, the defendant had not deposited his passport, produced the required sureties, or communicated any challenge in meeting the conditions. "The defendant was released to a lawyer to go and bring his passport to be deposited with the court. That has not been communicated to us, and other conditions of the bail have not been met. The law is trite, no sentiment," the DSS lawyer submitted. He insisted that court orders must be obeyed and should not be treated as mere formalities, urging the court to "make a necessary order for the remand of the defendant until the bail conditions are met".
Responding, defence counsel Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) urged the court to exercise patience, maintaining that the process of perfecting the bail was ongoing and that verification of documents by the court itself was yet to be completed. He assured the court that Sowore's passport would be deposited before the close of work on Monday, explaining that there had been a slight delay in recovering the travel document from the American Embassy in Lagos because Friday, July 4, was the United States' 250th Independence anniversary celebration and the embassy was closed. "It is incorrect that the conditions have not been met. When you meet bail conditions, the verification will have to be made by the court and this is ongoing, my Lord," Fusika argued.
After listening to both parties, Justice Umar declined to grant the DSS's application for Sowore's immediate remand, stating that he would wait until the close of work on Monday to ascertain the extent of compliance with the bail conditions before making any order. The judge noted that although he had signed Sowore's release order on the previous adjourned date, he would assess the steps taken by the defendant before deciding on the prosecution's request.
Meanwhile, Sowore formally opened his defence on Monday by calling his first witness, Abuja-based human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju. Led in evidence by Fusika, Adeyanju told the court that President Bola Tinubu, during an official engagement in Benue State, had publicly stated that citizens have the right to insult, criticise and call him names as part of democratic governance. Adeyanju further testified that the President said law enforcement agencies should allow citizens to exercise that right and that the judiciary should serve as the guardian of the public, not as an instrument of oppression against critics. Video clips of the President making those remarks were tendered and admitted in evidence as an exhibit via a flash drive. However, the defence requested an adjournment to enable the court to play and examine the video recordings at the next hearing, as a television monitor was unavailable in the courtroom. Justice Umar adjourned the trial to July 13, 2026, for continuation of the defence.
The DSS is prosecuting Sowore over allegations that he made false and defamatory statements against President Tinubu, whom he allegedly described as "a criminal" in posts published on his official X and Facebook accounts in August 2025. Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has consistently maintained that his remarks were based on facts and protected under the constitutional guarantee of free expression. The trial has become a focal point in the ongoing debate over free speech and the limits of political expression in Nigeria, with civil society organisations and opposition figures describing the prosecution as a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent. As the court awaits confirmation of Sowore's bail compliance, the activist's legal team has expressed confidence that all conditions will be met before the next adjourned date, ensuring that the trial can proceed without further interruption.
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