A Federal High Court in Abuja has released activist Omoyele Sowore on self-recognition, issuing a stern caution that he must avoid any public comments capable of stoking tensions or provoking hostility toward President Bola Tinubu.
The decision followed a tense courtroom session marked by legal arguments over jurisdiction and concerns about free speech.
The DSS had brought Sowore before the court on a five-count charge linked to alleged cybercrimes, with prosecutors accusing him of using his social media platforms to post offensive comments about the president.
He firmly denied the allegations when the charges were eventually read to him in court.
The proceedings began with a challenge from Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, who insisted the court lacked the authority to hear the case.
However, the judge ruled that the argument could not proceed because the prosecution had only been served with the motion earlier in the day.
Justice Mohammed Umar emphasised that fairness required giving the state enough time to file its official response.
After the objection stalled, the court moved ahead with Sowore’s arraignment.
His legal team immediately applied for bail, urging the court to consider his public status and long history of honouring court processes.
The prosecution pushed back, claiming he might flee if released.
Justice Umar disagreed, ruling that there was no concrete evidence that Sowore intended to evade trial.
He granted bail on self-recognition and fixed January 19, 2026, for the commencement of the full trial.
“Bail serves the ends of justice, not fear or speculation,” a court official hinted after the ruling, capturing the mood of the bench.
Meanwhile, the legal battle surrounding Sowore extends beyond the courtroom. Following the DSS’s case against him in September over his online posts, the activist filed a countersuit targeting the DSS as well as global tech companies Meta and X.
His legal team maintains that the security agency attempted to pressure these platforms into restricting his accounts, an act they describe as unconstitutional and dangerous.
His lawyer, Tope Temokun, stressed that the case is not merely about one man but about defending the space for political expression in Nigeria.
“This is about whether Nigerians can speak freely without fear of being muted by state power,” Temokun said.
He added that no security agency has the legal mandate “to silence citizens by deciding what may or may not be said on global platforms.”
Temokun further argued that political censorship contradicts the constitutional protection contained in Section 39, which guarantees freedom of expression.
“When criticism becomes a criminal offence, democracy begins to suffocate,” he said.
Sowore’s camp insists the trial will be a defining moment for digital rights, online activism, and the boundaries of political speech.
The case now moves into 2026 with both sides preparing for a potentially consequential courtroom showdown.