Court Grants Omoyele Sowore ₦200m Bail, Orders Passport Surrender

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, bail in the sum of ₦200 million with two sureties in like sum.

PulseNets learnt that, as part of the bail conditions, the court directed Sowore to surrender his international passport.

The court further ruled that one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s home community, while the second surety must own a verified landed property within Abuja.

The decision followed hours of heightened security at the Federal High Court premises, where the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Correctional Service deployed heavily armed operatives.

PulseNets reported that Sowore, who is standing trial over charges filed by the secret police for allegedly describing President Bola Tinubu as a criminal, has remained in custody since June 22, 2026, following a remand order issued by Justice Mohammed Umar.

Before the bail ruling, tight security at the court complex attracted criticism after journalists were initially denied access to the courtroom to cover the proceedings. Armed security personnel barricaded the entrance, leaving several media practitioners stranded in the foyer despite earlier assurances that they would be allowed into the courtroom before the session began.

Also Read: Court Remands Omoyele Sowore in Kuje Prison After Bail Revocation

“As I am chatting with you now, a few of us journalists are just standing by the foyer,” one journalist told PulseNets during the restriction.

Another reporter also told PulseNets, “We are not allowed to enter the courtroom. DSS and prison officers blocked the courtroom. The security is heavy, and they are preventing journalists from entering.”