The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore fresh bail in the sum of ₦200 million, weeks after revoking his earlier bail over his failure to appear for trial in an ongoing cybercrime case.
Justice Muhammad Umar, who delivered the ruling on Tuesday, ordered that the bail would only take effect after Omoyele Sowore provides two sureties, including a traditional ruler from his community and a property owner within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The court also directed the activist to deposit his international passport with the court registrar pending the conclusion of the trial.
The decision marks a significant development in the case after Justice Umar revoked Sowore’s previous bail on 16 June 2026 and issued a bench warrant for his arrest when he failed to appear in court.
Following Tuesday’s ruling, the judge handed Omoyele Sowore over to his legal team and adjourned proceedings until 6 July 2026, when the defence is expected to open its case.
The Department of State Services (DSS) is prosecuting Sowore on cybercrime-related charges arising from social media posts in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.” The activist has consistently denied the allegations and entered a plea of not guilty.
Before the fresh bail application, Sowore had explained that his absence from an earlier hearing resulted from a prior engagement in Lagos and sought an adjournment.
The prosecution opposed the request, prompting the court to revoke his bail and remand him at the Kuje Correctional Centre after dismissing his application seeking the trial judge’s recusal.
Reacting after the ruling, Sowore insisted that the fresh bail conditions would not weaken his political activism or advocacy.
“There is no bus on earth that can stop this revolution. They have always been after the passport. Nobody can stop the movement. Nobody can stop the idea whose time has come,” Sowore said.
He added that the legal proceedings extend beyond his personal freedom.
“What I want to tell Nigerians is that it is not about my freedom; it is about the liberation of the Nigerian people.”
The case has attracted considerable public attention because of its implications for freedom of expression, political dissent and the application of Nigeria’s cybercrime laws.
Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and the 2019 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has remained one of Nigeria’s most outspoken government critics, facing multiple legal battles linked to his activism over the past several years.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
