Nigerian court to rule on activist Sowore's bail restoration request

The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled June 30 for a ruling on activist Omoyele Sowore's application to reinstate his bail. Sowore's bail was revoked last week, leading to his remand in prison on Monday after he failed to appear in court on June 16.

Justice Mohammed Umar heard arguments from Sowore's legal team and the State Security Service (SSS), which is prosecuting the Sahara Reporters publisher. Sowore is charged with cybercrime for social media posts made last year that labeled President Bola Tinubu a "criminal." He has pleaded not guilty to these charges.

Sowore's defense lawyer, R.O. Adakole, urged the court to restore the bail conditions that were in place before June 16. He presented a motion on notice, supported by affidavits, and asked the court to disregard the prosecution's counter-affidavit. The prosecution, led by Akinlolu Kehinde, opposed the application, arguing that Sowore had not provided sufficient truthful facts to warrant the court's discretion in his favor.

Following the arguments, the judge adjourned the case for ruling. The defense then requested Sowore's release to his lawyers pending the court's decision, arguing that the presence of a senior advocate should suffice as an undertaking. However, the prosecution objected, and the judge declined the oral request, stating that releasing Sowore would effectively amount to ruling on the substantive application before the court.

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If I release him, won’t that mean I have ruled on the application?