Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the 17 count cybercrime charge filed against him by the Nigerian Police Force.
The charges are for cyberstalking, obstruction of public officers and disobedience to lawful orders.
Sowore was arrested and taken to the IRT facility in Abuja on Monday after he rejected the administrative bail conditions given to him by the police.
He was invited to the Force Intelligence Headquarters in Abuja over allegations that he resisted arrest and made statements to incite the public.
He was arraigned before Justice Musa Liman on Wednesday where he listened as the charges were read out in court.
Sowore denied all the charges and maintained his innocence.
The charges filed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, centred on statements Sowore made on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
One of the main charges was that he called Egbetokun an “illegal IGP”, a statement the police said was intended to disturb public peace.
The charge sheet stated that Sowore posted on December 13, 2024 that Egbetokun was an “illegal IGP”, knowing it to be false.
The prosecution said this was a violation of Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024) and punishable under the same law.
Another charge was that he tagged the Nigeria Police Force’s verified X handle, @policeNG, in a post that contained threats meant to incite Nigerians against the police.
The prosecution said such statement was meant to damage the image of the IGP and the Nigeria Police Force.
The most serious charge was for a post on December 20, 2024 where Sowore allegedly said the IGP’s actions would make another #EndSARS protest inevitable.
The prosecution said the statement was not only false but also intended to incite.
After his plea, Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar applied for bail for him. Justice Liman adjourned the case to 3pm to rule on the bail application.
Sowore is known for his activism and past battles with the Nigerian authorities. His arrest and trial has again generated public interest with his supporters seeing the charges as an attempt to gag him.
As the trial continues, all eyes are on the court’s decision on his bail and the larger implications for free speech in Nigeria.