The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the release of the international passport of activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, after striking out the cybercrime charges filed against him by the Nigeria Police Force.
The case, which stemmed from his social media comments about former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, was dismissed following what the court described as lack of diligent prosecution.
Justice Musa Liman, who presided over the matter, held that the police failed to show seriousness in pursuing the case since Sowore was first arraigned in January 2025.
The judge ruled after the prosecution sought another adjournment to change its counsel, a move strongly opposed by the defence team.
The court agreed with the defence and struck out the charge. Although the police later attempted to relist the matter, that effort did not stand. The application to revive the case was eventually withdrawn in open court, bringing the entire trial to an end.
Following the development, the court approved the release of Sowore’s passport, which had been seized as part of his bail conditions. The document was handed over to him through his legal representatives.
Reacting shortly after the proceedings, Sowore expressed concern over the actions of the police. In a statement shared on social media, he described the events in court as troubling. He said there were attempts by senior police officers to reopen a case that had already been struck out.
“Today was a revealing and deeply troubling day. I returned to court following Justice Musa Liman’s decision, which had earlier struck out the cybercrime case brought against me…,” he said.
He further alleged that top officials within the police hierarchy filed an ex parte motion seeking to relist the case for a fresh trial. According to him, the move was an attempt to revive a matter that had already been laid to rest by the court.
Sowore also raised concerns over delays in the release of his passport and certified true copies of the court ruling, despite formal requests made by his legal team led by Marshal Abubakar.
The case against him originated from a series of posts on his social media platforms, where he criticised the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force. In one of the posts, he described Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP” and accused the police leadership of incompetence and corruption.
Based on those comments, the police filed a 17-count charge against him, accusing him of cybercrime and alleging that his statements were capable of causing public disorder. The charges were brought under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.
Sowore, however, consistently denied the allegations. He maintained that the case was politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent and free expression.
