The Department of the State Service (DSS), has re-arraigned human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on a 2-count amended charge over alleged cyberbullying of President Bola Tinubu.
He was re-arraigned on Monday, before Justice Mohammed Umar, of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, for allegedly calling President Tinubu a “criminal”.
Meta and X, co-defendants in the amended charge were dropped, prompting the court to strike out their names from the charge sheet.
The demand to strike out their names from the amended charge was made by counsel to the DSS.
IJustice Umar, in a ruling, removed X Corp., the owner of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, as co-defendants in the new case.
According to the amended charge filed on December 5, 2025 Sowore, was specifically accused of defaming the person of President Tinubu.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Omoyele Sowore, Adult, Male, on or about the 25th day of August 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did knowingly or intentionally send a message by means of a computer system or network, to wit: your official “X” (formerly Twitter) handle page, @YeleSowore, wherein you posted the following message/tweet: ‘This criminal @officlolABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly, which message you knew to be fake and posted for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in Nigeria, posing a threat fo life, or causing such message to be sent and thereby committed the offence of cyberstalking, contrary to Section 24(1) (b) and 24(2) (a), (6), and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2024 and punishable under the same section.
“That you Omoyele Sowore, Adult, Male, on or about the 25th day of August, 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did knowingly or intentionally send a message by means of a computer system or network, fo wit: your official Facebook handle page, @YeleSowore, wherein you posted the following message/post: “This criminal @officlalABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly” which message you knew to be false and posted for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in Nigeria, posing a threat to life or causing such message to be sent and thereby committed the offence of cyberstalking contrary to Section 241(b) and 24(2) (a), (b), and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2024 and punishable under the some section.
Sowore pleaded not guilty to the two count charges when read to him.
Attempt to open trial was however stalled due to complaints by Sowore’s lawyer, Abubakar Marshall that the names of the witnesses and their particulars were not attached to the proof of evidence as required by law.
He claimed that the refusal to name the witnesses and disclosed their identities violated section 36 of the 1999, which compels fair hearing in any matter of the nature.
The matter has been adjourned to January 22, for commencement of trial.