A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, in Kuje Correctional Centre, deepening his ongoing legal battle with the Department of State Services (DSS).
Justice Mohammed Umar gave the order on Tuesday, directing that Sowore be held in custody pending the hearing of his motion challenging the revocation of his bail and the issuance of a bench warrant against him.
The ruling came after the court dismissed an application by Sowore seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case over alleged bias. The judge ruled that there was no sufficient ground to justify stepping aside from the matter.
The case was adjourned to June 24 for hearing of the motion filed by Sowore’s new counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, who is seeking a stay of execution on both the bail revocation and the bench warrant.
Sowore, who contested the presidential election under the African Action Congress (AAC), has been standing trial in a case filed by the DSS over alleged defamatory remarks against President Bola Tinubu.
The security agency alleges that Sowore referred to President Tinubu as “a criminal” in posts published on his verified accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, an accusation that forms the basis of the prosecution.
Tensions in the case escalated on June 16 when Justice Umar revoked Sowore’s bail after he failed to appear in court. The judge also issued a bench warrant for his arrest following an oral application by DSS counsel Akinkolu Kehinde, SAN.
With the latest ruling, Sowore will remain in Kuje Correctional Centre until the court decides on whether to suspend the earlier orders that led to his detention.
The case continues to draw national attention, raising fresh debate around free speech, political criticism, and the limits of online expression in Nigeria’s legal system.
