Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate and activist, has pleaded not guilty to the 17-count cybercrime charges filed against him by the Nigerian Police Force.
He was taken into custody on Monday and detained at the Intelligence Response Team facility in Abuja after declining the administrative bail conditions set by the police. Sowore had been invited to the Force Intelligence Headquarters in Abuja over allegations including obstruction of public officers, disobedience to lawful orders, cyberstalking, and interfering with arrests.
On Wednesday, he was arraigned before Justice Musa Liman, where he formally responded to the charges. When the charges were read, Sowore denied all 17 counts.
The case against him, filed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, stems from statements Sowore allegedly made on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account. One of the charges accuses him of referring to Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP,” a claim the prosecution argues was intended to incite unrest and undermine public order.
According to the charge sheet, on December 13, 2024, Sowore allegedly posted a message on X stating: “illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun,” an assertion the police claim he knew to be false and intended to disrupt peace. A second charge states that he tagged the official Nigeria Police Force X account in a similar post, allegedly inciting Nigerians against the police.
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Another charge references a December 20, 2024, post where Sowore allegedly stated that Egbetokun’s actions would make another #ENDSARS protest “inevitable.” The prosecution contends that this was a deliberate attempt to provoke disorder.
Following Sowore’s not-guilty plea, his legal representative, Marshall Abubakar, formally submitted an application requesting bail on his behalf. He argued that Sowore should be granted bail on reasonable terms, emphasizing his right to liberty and his commitment to attending future court proceedings. In response, Justice Musa Liman reviewed the application and adjourned the case until 3 p.m. to deliberate on the request and deliver a ruling on whether bail would be granted.
