A Federal High Court in Abuja has barred activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, from making statements deemed harmful to the peace and security of the country.
Justice Mohammed Umar gave the order while ruling on Tuesday, on a five-count charge filed against the activist.
The Department of State Services (DSS) had arraigned Sowore on charges bordering on cyberbullying, defamation, and publishing false information against President Bola Tinubu.
The case, filed as FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, also named X Corp (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc., owners of Facebook and Instagram, as co-defendants.
Prosecutors had alleged that Sowore, in posts made on August 25 and 26, 2025, described President Tinubu as a “criminal” and accused him of lying during an official visit to Brazil about his administration’s record on corruption.
According to the charge sheet, Sowore was accused of cyberbullying President Tinubu through posts that allegedly attacked his integrity. He was also charged with a count of cyberstalking for repeatedly publishing targeted statements against the President.
A third charge had alleged defamation of character, specifically for calling President Tinubu a “criminal” in his August 25 and 26 posts.
While the fourth count accused him of publishing false information, including claims that the President lied about his administration’s anti-corruption record during an official visit to Brazil, the final charge alleged conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace, by circulating remarks the prosecution said were capable of inciting public distrust in the Presidency.
Earlier, Sowore entered a plea of not guilty to all counts. He had insisted the charges were baseless and politically motivated, a view reinforced by his counsel, human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), who argued that the amended Cybercrimes Act no longer criminalises mere insults.
Ruling Tuesday, Justice Umar restrained Sowore from making statements deemed harmful to the country.
The judge noted that Sowore, who is already on bail in an earlier case, with his passport still in the court’s custody, qualified to receive bail on self-recognition.
The judge, however, warned that the court would not hesitate to revoke his bail should he make any further remarks considered detrimental to national stability.
