Alleged Cybercrime: Sowore Gets N10m Bail

ABUJA—The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, yesterday, granted bail to detained activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, to the tune of N10 million with one surety in like sum.

According to report by Vanguard News, the court, in the ruling that was delivered by Justice Musa Liman, held that the surety must be a responsible individual with landed property that is not valued below the bail sum.

Aside from directing the surety to deposit the original documents of the landed property, he also directed to submit a passport photograph and depose to an affidavit of means.

More so, the trial judge ordered Sowore to surrender his international passport to the Deputy Registrar of the court, even as it handed him 24 hours to perfect the bail conditions or remain in police custody.

Sowore was on Wednesday arraigned by the police on a 16-count charge that bordered on alleged Cybercrime.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/23/25, he was among other, accused of referring to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun as an “illegal IG”, in series of posts he made on his social media platforms in 2024.

For instance, police alleged that he had on December 20, 2024, posted on his X (Twitter) handle, that the “illegal IG of Nigeria Police Force, Kayode will make the next #EndSARS inevitable! He is working tirelessly towards it. Just a matter of time. #EgbetokunMustGo #Revolution.”

Police insisted that Sowore’s posts were aimed to incite Nigerians against the police force and to also damage the reputation of the IGP.

Sowore was said to have committed offences punishable under section 24(2) (c) (ii) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act 2015 as amended 2024.

Recall that Sowore was on Monday, detained at the police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, after he honoured an invitation that was extended to him by the police.

He had rejected an administrative bail that was given to him by the police, describing the conditions, which included that he must produce a level 17 Civil Servant, as outrageous and improper.