JUSTICE Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, June 22, ordered the remand of rights activist and the presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in Kuje Correctional Centre.
Justice Umar, in a brief ruling, ordered Sowore to be kept in the correctional centre, pending the hearing and determination of his motion for stay of the order for revocation of his bail and bench warrant.
The presiding Judge also dismissed Sowore’s earlier application seeking his recusal from the case on the ground of alleged bias.
He subsequently adjourned the matter until June 24, for hearing of the application for stay of the order for revocation of his bail and bench warrant.
The motion for stay was filed by the defendant’s new lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN).
Recall that Justice Umar had, on June 16, revoked a bail granted to Sowore, following his failure to appear in court for his trial.
The Judge, while ruling on an oral application made by the lawyer to the Department of State Services (DSS), Akinkolu Kehinde (SAN), also issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
The DSS, in a two-count charge, bordering on cyberstalking and criminal defamation, is prosecuting Sowore for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts.
Sowore, in the August 2025 posts, referred to Tinubu as a “criminal” over statements made during a trip to Brazil.
He refuses declined DSS demands to delete the posts, citing free speech.
Last month, Justice Umar rejected Sowore’s application to drop the charges, ruling that the secret Police had established a prima facie case, legally requiring him to open his defence.
On June 5, following a judicial directive for daily trial hearings, Sowore’s legal team withdrew from the case, citing the “humiliation” his lawyers faced.
Sowore then opted to represent himself and filed a motion accusing the Judge of bias.
On June 16, 2026, the prosecution described his failure to appear for a scheduled defence continuation as a “delay tactic.”
While the prosecution argued that Sowore’s recent absence from court was a deliberate obstruction, but Sowore countered that he had arrived at court for the previous scheduled sitting on June 15, only for the Judge to be absent without notice.
Sowore had filed a formal letter informing the Registry of his subsequent travel, which the court ultimately bypassed when issuing the arrest warrant the following day.
This prompted Justice Umar to revoke Sowore’s self-recognition bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
The Federal Government is prosecuting Sowore under Section 24 of the amended Cybercrimes Act, 2024, saying his online rhetoric was knowingly false and intentionally deployed to incite public disorder.
Sowore maintained a “not guilty” plea at the commencement of the case.
