Court Grants Sowore ₦10 Million Bail in Cybercrime Case Over Remarks on IGP Egbetokun

 

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to human rights activist Omoyele Sowore in the sum of ₦10 million following his arraignment on 17 counts of cybercrime charges. The case, filed by the police, stems from Sowore’s social media remarks criticizing the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.

The police accused Sowore of referring to IGP Egbetokun as “illegal” and alleging incompetence and corruption in a post on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle. According to the police, Sowore’s comments were intended to incite unrest, violating the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.

Justice Abdullahi Liman, who ruled on the bail application Thursday, ordered Sowore to provide one surety who must be a prominent Nigerian citizen and own landed property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The surety must:

1. Swear an Affidavit of Means.
2. Deposit an original Certificate of Occupancy of the property with the court for verification.
3. Submit a recent passport photograph and means of identification, preferably a National Identity Card.

Additionally, Sowore must surrender his passport to the court registrar, restricting his travel outside Nigeria without the court’s permission until the trial concludes. The judge adjourned the case for trial on April 8, 2025.

During the hearing, police prosecutor Uddy Jonathan opposed Sowore’s bail, arguing for stringent conditions if granted. However, Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar of Falana & Falana Chambers, urged the court to set liberal terms, citing Sowore’s right to bail.

Remember, Sowore was detained after honoring a police invitation in Abuja on Monday. His arrest followed his exposé on alleged police extortion in Lagos. The charges against him were filed on Tuesday, and he was arraigned on Wednesday, pleading not guilty.

One of the charges cited Sowore’s description of Egbetokun as “The illegal IG of the Nigeria Police Force” and a caption labeling the IGP’s image: “Mediocrity, incompetence, corruption, a country run by characterless people cannot make progress.”

Egbetokun, who was due for retirement in September 2024 after turning 60, secured an extended tenure through a controversial amendment to the Nigeria Police Act passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu.

Sowore dismissed the charges as baseless, maintaining that his statements were grounded in facts and public interest. His trial is set to proceed in April.