‎Court grants Sowore fresh N200m bail

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday granted a fresh bail of N200 million to human rights activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, after restoring his bail in an ongoing cybercrime and criminal defamation case.
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‎Justice Mohammed Umar, who delivered the ruling, also set aside the earlier order revoking Sowore’s bail and the bench warrant issued for his arrest following his absence from a previous court sitting.
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‎ The court held that the defendant had provided sufficient grounds for the restoration of his bail.
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‎The judge ordered Sowore to produce one surety in like sum and comply with other conditions attached to the fresh bail.
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‎Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services over allegations of cybercrime and criminal defamation linked to social media posts in which he allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as a criminal. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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‎The court had on June 16 revoked Sowore’s bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial.
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‎ Following his arrest and remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre, the activist filed an application seeking the restoration of his bail and the setting aside of the bench warrant.
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‎At the hearing of the application, Sowore’s legal team argued that the interest of justice required the court to restore the earlier bail conditions, while counsel to the DSS opposed the request, insisting that the defendant had not placed sufficient facts before the court to warrant the exercise of judicial discretion in his favour.
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‎In his ruling, Justice Umar granted the application and admitted Sowore to fresh bail in the sum of N200 million with one surety in like sum, paving the way for his release upon meeting the conditions.
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‎The case was subsequently adjourned for the continuation of trial.