Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has been granted bail by a Federal High Court in Abuja. The bail, set at ₦10 million, comes with strict conditions, including the requirement of one surety in like sum.
As per the court ruling, the surety must be a responsible individual who owns landed property valued at ₦10 million or more according to Channels Tv. The person must submit the original documents of the property, along with a passport photograph, to the court registrar. Sowore has also been ordered to deposit his international passport with the court as part of the conditions for his release.
Justice Musa Liman, who delivered the verdict, emphasized that Sowore must meet these conditions within 24 hours or risk being remanded in police custody. This decision follows an adjournment of Sowore’s bail hearing on Thursday, after both his legal counsel, Marshall Abubakar, and prosecution counsel, Udey Jonathan, presented their arguments in court.
Sowore, who is facing 17 counts of cybercrime, pleaded not guilty to the charges. These charges are related to an alleged tweet in which he described the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, as the “illegal IGP.” The police claim that the statement was false and intended to incite public disorder.
While Sowore’s defense team advocated for lenient bail conditions, the prosecution argued for stricter terms to ensure that he attends his trial.
This legal battle has drawn widespread attention, with many closely monitoring the case’s developments.