The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a N200 million bail to activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore in his ongoing cybercrime trial.
Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, admitted the Sahara Reporters publisher to bail with two sureties. The court ruled that one surety must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community, while the second must be a property owner in Abuja. Both sureties are to stand in the sum of N200 million.
As part of the bail conditions, the court directed Sowore to deposit his international passport with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court. Justice Umar also released the defendant to his legal team and adjourned proceedings until July 6, when he is expected to open his defence.
The State Security Service (SSS) is prosecuting Sowore over alleged cybercrime offences linked to social media posts published last year in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a criminal. Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Take It Back Movement Rejects Bail Terms
Reacting to the ruling, the Take It Back Movement described the bail conditions as “punitive, oppressive and excessive.”
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, the group argued that the conditions amounted to punishment before trial and were designed to frustrate and intimidate the activist.
The movement specifically faulted the requirement for a traditional ruler and an Abuja property owner as sureties, both valued at N200 million, alongside the directive for Sowore to surrender his international passport.
According to the group, the conditions bear no reasonable relationship to ensuring Sowore’s attendance in court and reinforce concerns that the prosecution is politically motivated.
The organisation also noted that Sowore had consistently honoured previous court appearances, arguing that the revocation of his earlier bail, his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre, and the fresh bail terms raise concerns about the use of state institutions to suppress dissent.
It urged the court to review the conditions in line with constitutional principles of fairness, reasonableness and the presumption of innocence.
“No amount of intimidation, judicial harassment or state-sponsored persecution will extinguish the Nigerian people’s legitimate demand for freedom, justice, accountability and genuine democracy,” the statement said.
Background to the Case
The court had last week reserved ruling on Sowore’s application seeking the restoration of his bail after hearing submissions from both the defence and prosecution.
His counsel, R.O. Adakole, representing Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adeyinka Oyesile-Fusika, urged the court to reinstate the earlier bail granted on self-recognition, arguing that it was in the interest of justice.
However, prosecuting counsel Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN) opposed the application, insisting that Sowore failed to present sufficient facts to justify the court’s discretion in his favour.
The application followed the court’s decision on June 16 to revoke Sowore’s bail and issue a bench warrant after he failed to appear for trial. He was arrested following proceedings on June 23 and remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his fresh bail application.
Before the bail dispute, the prosecution had closed its case, and the court dismissed Sowore’s no-case submission, directing him to begin his defence.
Rather than proceed, Sowore asked Justice Umar to recuse himself from the matter over alleged bias. The judge rejected the request, ruling that no valid grounds had been established for him to withdraw from the case.
The SSS filed the cybercrime charges against Sowore over posts made on X and Facebook in 2025. He was arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja in December 2025 and initially granted bail on self-recognition.
