Human rights activist, publisher, and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been granted fresh bail in the sum of ₦200 million by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, weeks after the court revoked his earlier bail over his failure to appear for trial.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Mohammed Umar admitted Sowore to bail but attached stringent conditions that must be met before he can regain his freedom. The court directed that he must produce two sureties, one of whom must be a traditional ruler from his community, while the second must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory. The judge also ordered Sowore to surrender his international passport to the court registrar pending the conclusion of the trial. (Punch Newspapers)
The latest development follows the court’s earlier decision to revoke Sowore’s previous bail and issue a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to attend proceedings in his alleged cybercrime and criminal defamation case. Following his arrest, he was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre while his legal team sought the restoration of his bail and the setting aside of the court’s earlier orders. (Punch Newspapers)..READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
Sowore is currently facing prosecution by the Department of State Services over allegations of criminal defamation linked to social media posts in which he allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as a criminal. He has consistently denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The fresh bail ruling marks a significant development in the high profile case, although the activist will remain in custody until he fulfils all the conditions outlined by the court. The trial is expected to continue as both the prosecution and the defence prepare to argue the substantive issues before the court.
