Court Grants Omoyele Sowore N200m Bail In Cybercrime Trial

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted N200 million bail to African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.

Justice Mohammed Umar granted the bail on Tuesday but attached new conditions that Sowore must meet before his release.

The court directed Sowore to produce two sureties.

One must be a traditional ruler from his hometown, while the other must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The judge also ordered the activist to surrender his international passport to the court registrar until the case is concluded.

Omoyele Sowore is facing a two-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The charges are linked to social media posts on his X and Facebook accounts in which he allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.”

He has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty.

Earlier in the case, the court had granted Sowore bail on self-recognition.

However, that bail was withdrawn on June 16 after he failed to appear in court for a scheduled hearing.

Justice Umar ruled at the time that the request for an adjournment submitted on Sowore’s behalf did not properly explain why he was absent and issued a warrant for his arrest.

On June 22, the court ordered that Sowore be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre while his application seeking to restore his bail was being considered.

The judge also rejected Sowore’s request for him to step down from the case after the activist accused the court of bias.

Following Tuesday’s ruling, Sowore will remain in custody until he meets all the new bail conditions set by the court as his trial continues.

ALSO READ: Sowore Being Sent To Prison Is Dangerous Regression For Democracy – Peter Obi