Court Gives Sowore Deadline to Perfect Bail or Return to Prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, be returned to the Kuje Correctional Centre if he fails to perfect his bail conditions by 4 p.m. on Monday.

Justice Mohammed Umar issued the directive during the resumed hearing of the defamation case filed against Sowore by the Department of State Services (DSS).

The DSS is prosecuting Sowore over allegations that he defamed President Bola Tinubu by describing him as a criminal in posts published on his X and Facebook accounts.

At the previous sitting, the court granted Sowore bail in the sum of ₦200 million and directed him to produce two sureties, one of whom must be a traditional ruler from his community, while the second must own landed property in Abuja.

The court also ordered him to deposit his international passport with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court and directed that the sureties be verified by the prosecution.

At Monday's proceedings, counsel to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), informed the court that Sowore had yet to satisfy the bail conditions.

He urged the court to order the defendant's immediate remand, arguing that although the court gave him time to perfect the conditions, he had instead granted television interviews.

Kehinde said Sowore had neither communicated any difficulty in meeting the conditions nor filed an application seeking a variation of the bail terms.

"The defendant was released to his lawyer to go and bring his passport to be deposited with the court. That has not been communicated to us, and other conditions of the bail have not been met," he told the court.

Following an appeal by Sowore's counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), Justice Umar granted the defendant until the close of work on Monday to comply with the bail conditions.

The judge ruled that failure to do so would result in Sowore's return to the Kuje Correctional Centre.

Responding, Olumide-Fusika assured the court that Sowore's international passport would be deposited before the deadline.

He explained that retrieving the passport from the United States Embassy in Lagos had been delayed due to activities marking America's 250th anniversary celebrations.

Justice Umar adjourned the case until July 13 for continuation of hearing.