By Newspot Nigeria News Desk
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the release of the international passport of activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, after striking out cybercrime charges filed against him by the Nigeria Police Force.
The presiding judge, Musa Liman, ruled that the prosecution failed to diligently pursue the case since Sowore’s arraignment in January 2025. The court held that the lack of prosecutorial commitment made it unjustifiable to continue proceedings.
During the last hearing, the prosecution sought an adjournment to enable a change of counsel. However, Sowore’s legal team opposed the request, urging the court to dismiss the case on grounds of delay and lack of diligence. The court upheld the defence argument and struck out the charges.
Following the ruling, an attempt by the police to relist the case was withdrawn in open court. The court subsequently struck out the relisting application, effectively bringing the criminal proceedings to an end.
The decision clears the way for the release of Sowore’s passport, which had been seized as part of his bail conditions after his arraignment last year.
The charges stemmed from social media posts in which Sowore allegedly described former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, as an “illegal IGP” and criticised the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force.
The police had filed a 17-count charge under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015, alleging that the posts were intended to incite disorder and disrupt public peace.
Sowore denied the allegations, maintaining that the case was politically motivated and an attempt to criminalise free expression.
Reacting to the development, Sowore described the proceedings as troubling, alleging that there had been efforts to relist a matter already struck out and delays in releasing both his passport and certified court documents despite formal applications by his legal team.
Kayode Egbetokun, who had been expected to retire in September 2024 after reaching statutory retirement age, remained in office following amendments to the Nigeria Police Act allowing extended tenure. He resigned from office last month.
The ruling marks a significant moment in the intersection of cybercrime enforcement, political speech, and judicial oversight in Nigeria.
— Newspot Nigeria
