\n\nThe Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, at the Kuje Correctional Centre over allegations of cybercrime linked to comments he made about President Bola Tinubu on social media.
The order was issued on Monday by Justice Mohammed Umar, who directed that Sowore remain in custody pending the continuation of proceedings in the case on Wednesday.
The activist is facing a two-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), which accused him of committing offences under Nigeria’s cybercrime laws after allegedly referring to President Tinubu as a “criminal” in a social media post.
Sowore’s remand followed the revocation of the bail previously granted to him by the court. Justice Umar had, in a ruling delivered on June 16, withdrawn the bail and issued a warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear before the court for the continuation of his trial.
The court noted that Sowore was expected to begin presenting his defence in the matter but was absent on the scheduled date, prompting the judge to take steps to compel his appearance before the court.
The case has attracted public attention due to Sowore’s long-standing role as a political activist and vocal critic of successive governments. The former presidential candidate has frequently used social media platforms and public campaigns to challenge government policies and public officials.
Earlier in the proceedings, Sowore elected to represent himself after members of his legal team withdrew from the case. Since then, he has personally handled aspects of his defence before the court.
In a related ruling delivered on Monday, Justice Umar dismissed an application seeking his disqualification from the case. The motion, filed on allegations of judicial bias, requested that the judge step aside from further proceedings.
However, the court held that the application lacked merit and ruled that there was no sufficient basis to warrant the judge’s withdrawal from the trial. The decision cleared the way for the case to continue under the same judge.
The DSS maintains that Sowore’s social media statements violated provisions of the Cybercrimes Act, while supporters of the activist have argued that the case raises concerns about freedom of expression and political criticism in a democratic society.
With the latest ruling, Sowore will remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre until Wednesday, when the court is expected to resume hearing the matter and determine the next stage of the trial.
The outcome of the proceedings is being closely watched by political observers, civil society groups and legal stakeholders, given its potential implications for free speech, cybercrime enforcement and political discourse in Nigeria.
