Former presidential candidate and publisher Omoyele Sowore was on Tuesday arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Department of State Services (DSS) on allegations of cybercrime linked to a social media post in which he described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.”
Sowore is facing five counts of criminal defamation, with Meta (Facebook) Inc. and X Corporation (formerly Twitter) joined as co-defendants—a rare move that places global tech platforms in the centre of a high-profile political prosecution in Nigeria.
According to the charge sheet, the DSS alleges that Sowore used his verified X and Facebook accounts to publish “false and defamatory” statements against the president. The charges were filed under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024.
Attempts to arraign him in previous sittings were twice adjourned. In November, DSS counsel Akinolu Kehinde (SAN) sought a bench warrant over Sowore’s absence, but Justice Mohammed Umar declined.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Sowore’s lawyer Marshal Abubakar questioned the validity of the prosecution, citing a pending preliminary objection. Counsel for Meta and X—also named in the charge—did not oppose the continuation of the hearing.
Abubakar argued that Sowore could not take a plea until the court resolved the objection. However, Kehinde countered that the defence was attempting to stall the case, insisting that the plea must come first in line with Section 396(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
Justice Umar aligned with the prosecution’s position and ordered the arraignment to proceed. Sowore pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
Following his plea, Abubakar requested that Sowore be granted bail on self-recognition, describing him as a responsible public figure.
“My Lord, the defendant is a law-abiding citizen. He is a two-time presidential candidate. Just three days ago, the applicant won an election as chairman of a major political party in Nigeria, AAC,” Abubakar said, adding that Sowore’s passport was already in the court’s custody.
The DSS opposed the bail request, filing a 40-paragraph counter-affidavit and alleging that Sowore had previously breached court orders and could “commit a similar offence” if released. Lawyers for Meta and X did not oppose the application.
Justice Umar granted Sowore bail on self-recognition, but issued a stern warning preventing him from making statements considered harmful to “national unity and peace.” He further cautioned that bail would be revoked if Sowore made any remarks deemed threatening to national security.
The case has been adjourned to January 19, 2026, for the commencement of trial, setting the stage for a legal battle that could test Nigeria’s expanding cybercrime laws, digital speech boundaries, and the liability of global tech platforms operating in the country.
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