Sowore Granted Fresh ₦200m Bail by Court

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore fresh bail in the sum of N200 million, weeks after revoking his earlier bail over his failure to appear in court.

Justice Muhammad Umar delivered the ruling on Tuesday, ordering Sowore to produce two sureties before the bail can take effect.

The court ruled that one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community, while the second must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Justice Umar also directed the activist to surrender his international passport to the court registrar pending the conclusion of the trial.

Following the ruling, the judge released Sowore into the custody of his legal team and adjourned the case until Monday, July 6, when he is expected to begin presenting his defence.

Sowore is facing prosecution by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged cybercrime offences linked to social media posts in which he reportedly described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.”

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court had revoked Sowore’s earlier bail on June 16 after he failed to appear for trial, issuing a bench warrant for his arrest.

Explaining his absence, Sowore told the court he had a prior engagement in Lagos and requested an adjournment. However, the prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Akinlolu Kehinde, opposed the request and urged the court to continue with the proceedings.

Following the revocation of his bail, Sowore challenged the bench warrant and also sought the recusal of the trial judge. The application was dismissed, leading to his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre while the court considered his fresh bail request.

In Tuesday’s decision, Justice Umar restored Sowore’s bail but attached fresh conditions, including the N200 million bail bond, the provision of the two sureties, and the surrender of his passport.

Reacting after the ruling, Sowore described the bail conditions as another attempt by authorities to frustrate him but insisted they would not weaken his resolve.

“There is no force that can stop this revolution,” he said.

According to him, the authorities have consistently sought to restrict his activities, particularly by demanding his international passport, but maintained that the movement he represents cannot be suppressed.

“What I want Nigerians to understand is that this is bigger than my personal freedom. It is about the liberation of the Nigerian people,” Sowore said.