The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of activist, publisher of SaharaReporters, and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of an application challenging the revocation of his bail.
The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, directed that Sowore remain in custody until the court hears and determines a motion seeking a stay of execution of the order revoking his bail and the bench warrant earlier issued for his arrest. The court subsequently adjourned proceedings until June 24 for hearing of the application.
Justice Umar also dismissed an application filed by Sowore seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case on grounds of alleged bias, a move that has been at the centre of recent legal disputes between the parties.
The motion for stay was filed by Sowore’s new counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, who appeared before the court following developments in the case that led to the revocation of his client’s bail.
The latest ruling follows the court’s decision of June 16, when Justice Umar revoked the bail earlier granted to Sowore and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for a scheduled hearing. At the time, counsel for the Department of State Services (DSS), Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, urged the court to take action against the defendant, arguing that Sowore had repeatedly failed to cooperate with the trial process and had not provided sufficient reasons for seeking an adjournment.
In revoking the bail, Justice Umar held that although Sowore had written to the court requesting an adjournment, the communication failed to provide convincing reasons for his absence. The court consequently granted the prosecution’s application and issued a warrant for his arrest.
Sowore is currently facing prosecution by the DSS over allegations that he made defamatory and false statements against President Bola Tinubu in posts published on his social media platforms, including X and Facebook. Prosecutors allege that he referred to the President as “a criminal,” an allegation that forms the basis of the criminal defamation and cyber-related charges before the court. Sowore has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The case had earlier entered the defence stage after the court ruled that Sowore had a case to answer. On June 4, Justice Umar directed him to open his defence and ordered accelerated hearing of the matter. The judge also rejected an application seeking further adjournment of the proceedings.
A major point of contention in recent weeks has been Sowore’s effort to have the trial judge recuse himself from the matter. His legal team had argued that certain developments in the proceedings raised concerns about impartiality. However, the court rejected those arguments and insisted that the trial should continue.
The remand order is the latest twist in a case that has attracted significant public attention due to Sowore’s profile as a journalist, political activist and government critic. His supporters have described the prosecution as an attempt to silence dissenting voices, while the DSS maintains that the matter is strictly a criminal case arising from allegedly defamatory publications.
With the court now set to hear arguments on the application for a stay of execution on June 24, attention will focus on whether Sowore can secure a reversal of the order revoking his bail or remain in custody as the substantive trial proceeds.
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