The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered 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) over a social media post in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
The activist had chosen to represent himself after his legal team withdrew from the case. However, during proceedings on Tuesday, Sowore was absent from court. He reportedly sent a letter informing the court that he had travelled to Lagos in search of new lawyers to handle his defence.
Following an application by the DSS, Justice Mohammed Umar revoked the bail previously granted to Sowore and issued a warrant for his arrest.
Before the latest development, Sowore had requested that Justice Umar step aside from the case and transfer it to the Chief Judge for reassignment. He based his application on constitutional provisions guaranteeing fair hearing, alleging that the judge had demonstrated bias during the proceedings.
Sowore cited an incident in which one of his lawyers was allegedly ordered to kneel before the court. He also claimed that the court’s decision to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis, along with what he described as the judge’s high-handed approach, discouraged his legal team from continuing with the case.
According to him, his lawyers informed him that they were no longer willing to appear before the court because of the treatment they received during earlier proceedings.
The AAC chieftain was arraigned on December 2, 2025, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The allegations stem from posts he made on August 25, 2025, in response to remarks by President Tinubu during a visit to Brazil, where the President reportedly stated that corruption had been significantly reduced under his administration.
In the posts shared on his X account and Facebook page, Sowore referred to the President as a “criminal” and accused him of making false claims about the state of corruption in Nigeria.
The DSS subsequently requested that X and Meta remove the posts and suspend Sowore’s accounts. The agency also directed him to delete the content from all platforms. His failure to comply led to the criminal charges.
The prosecution argues that the posts were knowingly false and capable of causing a breakdown of law and order, while also damaging the President’s reputation.
The case is being prosecuted under Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b) and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
Although X and Meta were initially listed as co-defendants in the matter, both companies were later removed from the amended charge, leaving Sowore as the sole defendant.
Court Orders Sowore’s Arrest Over Absence at Cybercrime Trial
