Court Grants Omoyele Sowore ₦200 Million Bail: See Details

According to Ireporter Online, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, bail in the sum of ₦200 million, alongside two sureties in like sum.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Mohammed Umar, who stipulated that one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community, while the second surety must own a property within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The court further ordered Sowore to deposit his international travel documents with the Deputy Registrar of the court as part of the bail conditions.

The case stems from charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) bordering on alleged cybercrime linked to statements made by Sowore in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” The activist was previously arraigned on a five-count charge and initially granted bail on self-recognizance, with restrictions cautioning him against making inflammatory remarks.

However, the court revoked his bail in June after he failed to appear for trial proceedings, leading to the issuance of a bench warrant for his arrest. The prosecution, led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), argued that his absence was a deliberate attempt to delay proceedings, prompting the court to revoke the earlier bail.

Sowore later returned to court, challenged the warrant, and sought the recusal of Justice Umar, but both applications were dismissed. He was subsequently remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending a fresh bail hearing.

At Tuesday’s sitting, Justice Umar granted a renewed bail application, restoring Sowore’s bail under strict conditions set by the court.