Court fixes June 30 for ruling on Sowore’s bail application

The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled June 30 for a ruling on activist Omoyele Sowore's request to have his bail reinstated. Sowore is also seeking to nullify a bench warrant issued for his arrest after he failed to appear in court for his trial on cybercrime and criminal defamation charges.

Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the case after all parties presented their arguments. The court had previously revoked Sowore's bail on June 16, leading to the bench warrant. The Department of State Services is prosecuting Sowore, accusing him of defamation for referring to President Bola Tinubu as a "criminal" in social media posts.

Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was recently ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of his application to stay the execution of the bail revocation order.

During Wednesday's hearing, Sowore's legal team argued for the restoration of his bail and the setting aside of the bench warrant. They presented a motion supported by affidavits and urged the court to grant their application in the interest of justice. The prosecution, however, filed a counter-affidavit and urged the court to dismiss Sowore's application, arguing that he had not presented truthful facts.