Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has formally opened his defence in the ongoing cybercrime and criminal defamation case instituted against him over social media posts concerning President Bola Tinubu.
The trial resumed before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, where the prosecution informed the court that Sowore had yet to fully perfect his bail conditions. However, the defence maintained that the activist remained entitled to bail and argued that the conditions imposed by the court had substantially been met.
Sowore is facing charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), which alleges that he committed cybercrime and criminal defamation by referring to President Tinubu as a “criminal” in posts published on his social media accounts. The activist has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
As part of his defence, Sowore called Abuja-based lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju as his first witness. Adeyanju defended Sowore’s remarks, arguing that the description of the President was based on publicly known historical court records and previous legal proceedings rather than fabricated claims. The defence also indicated its intention to tender video evidence during the trial, prompting the court to adjourn proceedings to allow the necessary equipment to be provided.
The case has attracted significant public attention, with civil society groups and legal observers closely monitoring proceedings because of its potential implications for freedom of expression, cybercrime laws and political speech in Nigeria.
Sowore had earlier filed a no-case submission seeking to have the charges dismissed, but the court ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case requiring him to enter his defence. The matter has now moved into the defence stage, where the court will consider evidence presented by both parties before delivering judgment.
Leave a Reply