Court grants Sowore fresh N200m bail

An Abuja court has admitted activist Omoyele Sowore to fresh bail totaling N200 million, following the revocation of his earlier bail. The court's decision came after Sowore failed to appear for his trial, leading to a bench warrant for his arrest.

Justice Muhammad Umar mandated that Sowore provide two sureties for the bail to take effect. One surety must be a traditional ruler from Sowore's community, and the other must own property within the Federal Capital Territory. Additionally, Sowore must surrender his international passport to the court registrar while the case is pending.

Sowore is currently on trial, prosecuted by the Department of State Services, on allegations of cybercrime. The charges stem from social media posts in which he allegedly labeled President Bola Tinubu a "criminal." Sowore has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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There is no bus on earth that can stop this revolution.

Following the initial bail revocation on June 16, Sowore challenged the bench warrant and sought the trial judge's recusal, but his application was dismissed. He was subsequently remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre before filing a fresh bail application.

Despite the stringent bail conditions, Sowore reacted by calling them part of ongoing efforts against him but asserted they would not impede his movement or activism. He stated, "There is no bus on earth that can stop this revolution." He emphasized that the fight is not about his personal freedom but about the "liberation of the Nigerian people."

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What I want to tell Nigerians is that it is not about my freedom; it is about the liberation of the Nigerian people.