The Department of State Services on Monday asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to order that Omoyele Sowore be returned to prison custody for failing to meet the conditions of his bail.
Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress and an online publisher, is being prosecuted by the DSS for alleged criminal defamation. The charge relates to posts on his official X and Facebook accounts where he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”
Prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), told Justice Mohammed Umar that although bail was granted to Sowore on June 30, he has not perfected the terms. He urged the court to remand him pending compliance.
“We urge your lordship to make a necessary order for the remand of the defendant until the bail conditions are met,” Kehinde said.
He noted that Sowore was released to a lawyer who stood for him on June 30, but the bail conditions are yet to be fulfilled. He added that court orders must be respected.
Responding, defence counsel Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) asked the court to exercise patience. He said Sowore was in the process of meeting the conditions and that verification was ongoing.
“It is incorrect that the conditions have not been met. When you meet bail conditions, the verification will have to be made by the court and this is ongoing, my Lord,” Olumide-Fusika said.
After listening to both lawyers, Justice Umar said he had signed Sowore’s release order at the last sitting. He, however, said he would wait until the close of work on Monday to review the steps taken by the defendant before making any decision on remand.
Sowore also began his defence on Monday with his first witness, Abuja-based lawyer Deji Adeyanju.
