From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted fresh bail to activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, in the sum of ₦200 million after previously revoking his bail over his failure to appear before the court.
Justice Mohammed Umar, who presided over the proceedings on Tuesday, ordered that Sowore must provide two sureties in like sum as part of the conditions for his release.
According to the court, one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community, while the second must be the owner of a verified property located in Abuja.
The judge also directed Sowore to deposit his international passport and other travel documents with the Deputy Registrar of the court upon meeting the bail conditions.
Justice Umar had, on June 16, revoked Sowore’s earlier bail after he failed to appear for a scheduled court sitting. However, in delivering Tuesday’s ruling, the judge said the court took judicial notice of Sowore’s conduct, particularly his decision to voluntarily return and present himself before the court instead of waiting to be arrested.
The court held that Sowore’s action demonstrated his willingness to face trial, adding that it would exercise its discretionary powers in his favour by restoring his bail.
During the proceedings, counsel to the defendant informed the court that Sowore’s passport is currently in the custody of the United States Embassy in Lagos. The lawyer explained that Sowore would need to appear in person at the embassy to retrieve the document before depositing it with the court as ordered.
The defence further urged the court to release Sowore to his legal team to enable them to fulfil the bail conditions within the stipulated time.
Sowore is facing prosecution over alleged false claims made against President Bola Tinubu on his social media platforms, including “X” and Facebook, where he allegedly referred to the president as “a criminal”.
Following the ruling, Sowore is expected to remain in the custody of his lawyers pending the perfection of the bail conditions, after which he will continue to face trial before the court.
