The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a N200 million bail to activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore. This is in his ongoing trial for alleged cybercrime charges.
The State Security Service (SSS) is prosecuting Sowore over cybercrime charges. These charges relate to his social media posts from last year, where he called President Bola Tinubu a criminal.
On Tuesday, Judge Mohammed Umar ruled that Sowore could be granted bail with two sureties. One of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore's community. The second surety must own land in Abuja.
The judge ordered that both sureties be confirmed by the prosecution. Sowore was also told to deposit his international passport with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court.
Judge Umar later released Sowore to his lawyers. The case has been adjourned until Monday, 6 July, when Sowore will open his defence.
Take It Back Movement opposes bail conditions
After the ruling, the Take It Back Movement spoke out against the bail terms set for Sowore. They called the terms "punitive, oppressive and excessive."
In a statement from their National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, the movement said the conditions felt like punishment before trial. They believe the terms are meant to frustrate and intimidate Sowore.
They criticized the requirement for two sureties, including a traditional ruler and a landowner in Abuja, each worth N200 million. They also opposed the order to surrender his international passport.
The group stated that these conditions do not have a "reasonable relationship" to ensuring Sowore shows up in court. They expressed concerns that the prosecution is politically motivated and not about justice.
The movement pointed out that Sowore has always appeared in court when needed. They argued that the revocation of his bail, his time at the Kuje Correctional Centre, and the new bail conditions show that state institutions are being used to silence dissent.
They urged the court to reconsider the bail terms. They called for fairness, reasonableness, and the presumption of innocence to be upheld.
"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 concluded.
Background
PREMIUM TIMES reported last Wednesday that the court delayed its ruling on Sowore's request to restore his bail. This followed arguments from both sides.
His lawyer, R.O. Adakole, who represented Adeyinka Oyesile-Fusika, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), asked the court to restore the bail. He argued it would serve justice and urged the court to ignore the prosecution's counter affidavit.
The prosecution lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, also SAN, opposed the request. He claimed Sowore did not provide enough truthful information for the court to rule in his favour.
This application came after the court revoked Sowore's bail on 16 June. This happened because he did not show up for trial. He was arrested on 23 June and sent to the Kuje Correctional Centre while waiting for the bail decision.
Earlier, the case had reached the defence stage after the prosecution finished its case. Sowore filed a no-case submission, saying the prosecution did not prove its case against him. The court dismissed this and told him to start his defence.
Instead of continuing with his defence, Sowore asked Judge Umar to step down from the case, claiming bias. The judge denied this request, stating no strong reasons were given for him to withdraw. He ordered that the trial should continue.
The SSS charged Sowore with cybercrime for his posts on X and Facebook last year, calling President Tinubu a criminal. The agency brought him before the Federal High Court in Abuja in December 2025. He pleaded not guilty and was initially granted bail on self-recognition.
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