Court in Abuja Rejects Sowore's Claim of Lack of Evidence in Cyberbullying Case

The Federal High Court in Abuja handed down a decision on Friday, rejecting a no-case submission from Omoyele Sowore, a prominent activist and former presidential candidate, in a cyberbullying case brought by the Department of State Services over allegedly defamatory comments about President Bola Tinubu.

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Justice Mohammed Garba Umar delivered the ruling, which stated that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against Sowore, necessitating a defence from him.

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The Department of State Services had previously charged Sowore with a two-count charge related to alleged cyberbullying, specifically accusing him of referring to Tinubu as a "criminal" on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

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Sowore had requested that the court dismiss the case and acquit him, arguing in his no-case submission that the prosecution failed to provide any evidence linking him to the alleged offences.

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Justice Umar, however, ruled against Sowore, determining that the DSS had successfully connected him to the allegations and that the prosecution's evidence warranted a response from the defendant.

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The judge explicitly stated that "a prima facie case has been made out against the defendant requiring him to enter his defence" based on the evidence presented to the court.

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Following the ruling, a dramatic scene unfolded in the courtroom as Sowore openly accused Justice Umar of bias and expressed concerns that he would not receive a fair trial.

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Sowore urged Justice Umar to recuse himself from the case and return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to a different judge, alleging that the court was colluding with the Federal Government to secure his conviction before the 2027 general elections.

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Sowore's lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, also accused the court of favouring the prosecution and formally requested that the case be reassigned, citing his client's loss of confidence in the court.

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Counsel for the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde, opposed the oral application and argued that Sowore, being represented by counsel, should not have personally addressed the court on the matter.

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Justice Umar directed Sowore to submit a formal application for recusal, outlining the grounds for his request, in a brief ruling.

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The case was subsequently adjourned by Justice Umar until May 19, allowing Sowore to begin his defence and permitting a hearing on the recusal application.