Court Adjourns Sowore’s Arraignment on Cybercrime Charges to October 27
A Federal High Court in Abuja has deferred the arraignment of activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, alongside two others, to October 27, 2025.
The case, filed by the Department of State Services (DSS), centers on allegations of cybercrime and the publication of false information against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
At Monday’s proceedings, Sowore’s legal team argued that he had not been served with the charge sheet as required by law.
The defence also pointed out that the second defendant, X Corporation, was not represented in court.
Justice Mohammed Umar, presiding over the case, reviewed the court’s file and confirmed that the charges had indeed not been properly served.
In response, Sowore consented to receiving the charge sheet in open court but requested three days to study the allegations before taking his plea.
The judge consequently adjourned the arraignment to allow proper service on all defendants, including X Corporation and Meta Inc., which are listed as co-defendants in the case.
The DSS has filed a five-count charge, accusing Sowore of using his X (formerly Twitter) handle and Facebook page to publish false and defamatory statements about the president.
Specifically, he is alleged to have described Tinubu as “a criminal” and claimed that the president declared “there is no more corruption” in Nigeria. Prosecutors argue that these statements are false and capable of causing fear, public disturbance, and undermining public confidence in government.
The charges are anchored on Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, alongside Sections 59 and 375 of the Criminal Code Act, which cover the publication of false information and defamation.
The inclusion of social media giants X Corporation and Meta Inc. as co-defendants adds a notable dimension to the case, raising questions about platform responsibility and the extent to which technology companies can be held liable for user-generated content.
Sowore, who has long been a vocal critic of successive Nigerian administrations, has described the charges as politically motivated.
His trial is expected to reignite debates over freedom of expression, press freedom, and the balance between regulating harmful content online and safeguarding democratic dissent.
With the arraignment now fixed for October 27, all eyes will be on the Federal High Court as the case unfolds in what could become a landmark test of Nigeria’s cybercrime laws.
