Pat Stevens/
Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday, arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja with his luggage packed as he faced trial over social media posts in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a criminal.
Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services on charges bordering on cyberstalking, defamation and the alleged spread of false information arising from posts he made in late August.
The DSS had filed the charges in September.
Ahead of the hearing, Sowore announced his arrival in court on X, describing the proceedings as politically motivated and warning that he was prepared for any outcome.
“Once again today, I will be attending a sham trial orchestrated by the lawless @OfficialDSSNG over my truthful expression on social media, in which I described Tinubu as a criminal. For exercising free speech, the DSS has dragged me before a Federal High Court judge in Abuja on fabricated criminal charges,” he wrote.
He added, “Any serious or legitimate security agency should have never contemplated this type of case. But the Director-General of the DSS appears determined to engage in ‘eye service,’ presiding over an institution crippled by incompetence, hypocrisy and intolerance, one of the many reasons Nigeria remains in a profound state of crisis today.
“We will not back down. There are battered people to rescue, and the struggle continues.”
Sources close to the activist confirmed that Sowore came to court with his personal luggage, signalling his expectation of a possible remand or other restrictive court order.
The case has continued to generate sharp public reactions, with supporters insisting it is an attack on free speech, while others argue that the alleged comments amount to unprotected defamation without proof.
Sowore’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, also appealed directly to the President to halt the prosecution, warning that the matter lacked legal substance and could deepen political tensions.
“With every sense of urgency, I urge President Tinubu to direct the DSS/AGF to discontinue all ongoing trials of Omoyele Sowore. An objective assessment will show that these cases lack legal merit. Stop taking political disagreements to the judiciary; it often backfires,” Ejimakor wrote on X.
Sowore had previously appeared in court after earlier attempts by the DSS to secure his arrest were rejected.
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