Sowore arrives in court for arraignment over social media comments
By Jeffrey Agbo
Former presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has arrived at the Federal High Court in Abuja for his arraignment over comments made on social media, where he referred to Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun as an “illegal IG.”
Sowore is set to appear before Justice Liman on Wednesday as he faces three charges under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, which was amended in 2024.
READ ALSO: Egbetokun sues Sowore to court for mocking him as “illegal IG”
According to court documents in suit number FCH/ABJ/23/25, he is accused of intentionally using his X (formerly Twitter) account to publish messages labelling Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP.” The police claim the publications were false, disruptive and intended to incite unrest, adding that his comments could undermine law enforcement authority and lead to public disorder.
His legal team, led by Marshall Abubakar, confirmed that the charges would be heard in court. Political activist Deji Adeyanju criticised the case, calling it an abuse of legal process and promising a strong defence.
Sowore was arrested on Monday and detained after rejecting police bail conditions following allegations of obstructing public officers and cyberstalking. The charges come amid ongoing tensions between him and Nigerian authorities, particularly after his viral December video exposing alleged police extortion at a Lagos checkpoint.
