BREAKING: Abuja Court Grants Sowore Bail On Self-Recognizance In DSS Cybercrime Case For Calling Tinubu ‘Criminal’

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who is facing criminal charges brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) over his remarks describing President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”

The court granted Sowore bail on self‑recognizance.

Sowore appeared again before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday for the continuation of his trial on criminal charges brought by the DSS.

The DSS listed Sowore, alongside X Corp. (owners of X, formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. (parent company of Facebook), as defendants in a five-count charge entered at the court’s registry.

The charges, filed on September 16, 2025, by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, accused Sowore of cyberstalking, defamation, and publishing false information against President Tinubu after describing him as a “criminal” in posts on X and Facebook.

The DSS cited Sowore’s August 25 and August 26, 2025, posts, in which he slammed Tinubu’s comments during his official visit to Brazil, where the President boasted that his administration had gotten rid of corruption.

https://saharareporters.com/2025/09/30/sowore-appears-abuja-court-over-dss-cybercrime-defamation-charges-against-him-calling

The security agency claims the posts were “false, malicious, and inciting,” arguing that they were capable of causing public disorder.

Exhibits listed by the prosecution include screenshots of Sowore’s posts, official letters written to X and Meta requesting deletion of the content, and Sowore’s public responses rejecting the takedown requests.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has long been a fierce critic of successive Nigerian governments. He has previously faced multiple arrests, detentions, and trials over his activism and anti-corruption advocacy.

The activist confirmed his scheduled court appearance in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, describing his ongoing prosecution as a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent.

SaharaReporters previously reported how the DSS wrote to Sowore, demanding he delete the contentious posts or face legal action.

However, Sowore refused, insisting that his criticism was part of his constitutional right to hold leaders accountable.

“You have no business telling me how to criticise the President,” he said in a public response.

“The determination of the Nigerian people to reclaim their country from thieves in power is unwavering.”

The DSS also wrote to X and Meta to censor Sowore’s accounts. While Meta did not publicly respond, X confirmed receipt of the Nigerian government’s request but notified Sowore of its refusal to unilaterally delete the posts.

Sowore, known for his uncompromising stance, replied directly on X: “One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X.”