The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a warrant for the arrest of activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, after he failed to appear in court for the continuation of his cybercrime trial.
Sowore is facing a two-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), stemming from social media posts in which he described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal.”
The defendant, who recently chose to represent himself following the withdrawal of his legal team, was expected to begin presenting his defence when the matter came up on Tuesday.
Although Sowore did not appear in court, he sent a letter explaining that he had travelled to Lagos in search of new legal representation.
Following an application by the DSS, Justice Mohammed Umar revoked the bail previously granted to Sowore and ordered his arrest.
Prior to the latest proceedings, Sowore had filed an application asking Justice Umar to recuse himself from the case and transfer the matter to the Chief Judge for reassignment. Citing Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution, he alleged judicial bias and referred to an incident in which one of his lawyers was reportedly ordered to kneel before the court.
He also claimed that his legal team withdrew due to the court’s decision to conduct daily hearings and what he described as the judge’s high-handed approach.
According to Sowore, his lawyers informed him they were unwilling to continue appearing before the court because of the treatment they received during proceedings. He subsequently notified the court of his decision to represent himself until he could assemble a new legal team.
Sowore was arraigned on December 2, 2025, under charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 and pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
The charges were brought under Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b), and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
The case centres on posts made on August 25, 2025, in response to President Tinubu’s statement in Brazil that his administration had eliminated corruption in Nigeria.
Following the posts, the DSS requested that X (formerly Twitter) and Meta remove the content and suspend Sowore’s accounts. The agency also directed Sowore to delete the posts from all platforms.
According to the prosecution, his failure to comply led to the filing of criminal charges. The DSS argues that the posts were intended to incite public disorder and damage the president’s reputation.
Evidence presented by the prosecution includes copies of the social media posts and correspondence between the DSS and the defendant.
Although X and Meta were initially listed as co-defendants, both companies were removed from the amended charge.
The prosecution alleges that Sowore knowingly published false statements through his official X and Facebook accounts, accusing President Tinubu of criminal conduct and thereby committing cyberstalking under the provisions of the Cybercrimes Act. The government maintains that the posts posed a threat to public order and security.
