The Federal High Court in Abuja has restored the bail of activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, admitting him to fresh bail in the sum of N200 million with two sureties.
Justice Muhammad Umar, who presided over the case on Tuesday, ruled that Sowore must provide two sureties before enjoying the bail. One of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community, while the other must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The court also ordered the activist to deposit his international passport with the court registrar pending the determination of the case.
Sowore was initially granted bail on self-recognition in December after his arraignment by the Department of State Services on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime. During the earlier ruling, the court cautioned him against making statements capable of inciting the public against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The activist is standing trial over charges filed by the DSS following a comment in which he allegedly described the President as “a criminal.”
On June 16, Justice Umar revoked Sowore’s bail after he failed to appear in court for the continuation of his trial and subsequently issued a bench warrant for his arrest after neither he nor his legal representatives were physically present in court.
Although Sowore had informed the court that he would be unable to attend due to a pre-scheduled engagement in Lagos and requested an adjournment, the prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Akinlolu Kehinde, opposed the request, describing it as a delay tactic. The court consequently revoked his bail.
Following the bench warrant, Sowore voluntarily appeared before the court on June 22 to challenge the order and sought Justice Umar’s recusal from the case. The application was dismissed, and he was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of his fresh bail application.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the court granted the fresh bail application, restoring Sowore’s bail subject to the fulfilment of the new conditions.
