The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, in his ongoing cybercrime trial.
Justice Mohammed Umar, who delivered the ruling on Tuesday, admitted Sowore to bail in the sum of ₦200 million and imposed strict conditions that must be met before his release.
The court directed the former presidential candidate to provide two sureties. One of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community, while the second must own landed property in Abuja. Justice Umar also ordered that both sureties be verified by the prosecution.
As part of the bail conditions, Sowore was instructed to surrender his international passport to the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court pending the conclusion of the trial.
Following the ruling, the judge ordered that the defendant be released into the custody of his legal team. The case was subsequently adjourned until Monday, July 6, when Sowore is expected to open his defence.
The latest decision comes weeks after Justice Umar ordered Sowore’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre while considering his application for a stay of execution following the revocation of his earlier bail and the issuance of a bench warrant.
The judge had also dismissed an application filed by Sowore seeking his recusal from the case over allegations of bias.
The Department of State Services (DSS) is prosecuting Sowore over alleged cybercrime offences, accusing him of making false claims against President Bola Tinubu by describing him as “a criminal” in posts published on his X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts.
