A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday granted N200 million bail to the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, with two sureties.
Justice Mohammed Umar ruled that one surety must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community in Ese Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State. The second must own landed property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He also ordered that both sureties be verified by the prosecution counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Akinlolu Kehinde.
The judge further directed Sowore to deposit his international passport with the court’s deputy chief registrar for safekeeping before any further action.
Daily Trust reports that Justice Umar remanded Sowore at the Kuje Correctional Centre on June 16 after revoking the bail earlier granted to the human rights activist on “self-recognition” last December.
The court later issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for his trial over allegations of cybercrime and criminal defamation.
Last Tuesday, Justice Umar ordered that Sowore remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre until his application seeking a stay of execution of the order revoking his bail and the bench warrant was decided.
When the case resumed on Tuesday, the judge dismissed Sowore’s application asking him to withdraw from the trial over alleged bias.
The Department of State Services (DSS) is prosecuting Sowore over alleged criminal defamation after claims that he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” in posts on his official X and Facebook accounts.
Sowore’s lawyer, R. O. Adakole, appealed to the court to release his client to him so he could retrieve his passport from the US embassy in Lagos.
Justice Umar then adjourned the case until July 6, 2026, for the continuation of the hearing following the request by Sowore’s counsel.
