Court Orders Release of Sowore’s Passport After Striking Out Cybercrime Charges Against Sahara Reporters Publisher
The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the release of the international passport of activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, after striking out cybercrime charges instituted against him by the Nigeria Police Force.
The development, reported by PulseNets, follows the court’s decision to dismiss the case, which originated from Sowore’s social media remarks about the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, citing lack of diligent prosecution.
Justice Musa Liman, who presided over the proceedings, held that the police failed to demonstrate seriousness in prosecuting the matter since Sowore’s arraignment in January 2025. PulseNets learnt that the ruling came after the prosecution sought yet another adjournment on the grounds of changing counsel, a request that was firmly resisted by the defence.
The court aligned with the defence’s position and struck out the charges. PulseNets obtained that although the police later made moves to relist the case, the attempt did not succeed. The application to revive the matter was eventually withdrawn in open court, effectively bringing the trial to a close.
Following the ruling, the court approved the release of Sowore’s passport, which had been seized as part of his bail conditions. PulseNets reported that the document was subsequently handed over to his legal representatives.
Reacting after the court session, Sowore told PulseNets that the conduct of the police remained a source of concern. In a statement posted on his social media platforms, he described the courtroom events as troubling and alleged attempts by senior police officers to reopen a case already dismissed.
“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 claimed that top-ranking police officials filed an ex parte motion seeking to relist the case for a fresh hearing, describing the move as an effort to resurrect a matter already settled by the court.
Sowore also raised concerns over delays in releasing his passport and certified true copies of the court judgment, despite formal applications submitted by his legal team led by Marshal Abubakar.
The charges against Sowore reported by PulseNets stemmed from a series of posts on his social media accounts, 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.
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Based on those statements, the police filed a 17-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime, arguing that the comments were capable of inciting public disorder under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.
However, Sowore consistently denied all allegations, maintaining that the charges were politically driven and designed to suppress dissent and freedom of expression.
