The cybercrimes trial of activist Omoyele Sowore attracted prominent figures and supporters to the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, where he was scheduled to be arraigned by the Nigerian police.
Among those present were former senator Shehu Sani, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Afam Osigwe, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, and his predecessor, Ene Obi.
Additionally, Nigerian youths and members of the Take It Back Movement (TIB), led by Sowore, thronged the court in solidarity with the human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
Sowore was charged on Tuesday with 17 counts of cybercrime offences after referring to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP” in a social media post.
According to the indictment, the police allege that Sowore knew his statement was false but made it with the intention of causing a “breakdown of law and order.” The charges were filed under Section 24 of the Cybercrime Act, 2015 (as amended in 2024).
The controversy stems from Egbetokun’s tenure extension. The Nigeria Police Act was amended to allow him to remain in office four years beyond the statutory retirement age of 60, a move critics have called unconstitutional.
Speaking from detention, Sowore dismissed the charges, calling them “some of the most ridiculous charges ever filed by Nigerian law enforcement agents.”
He also mocked errors in the charge sheet, highlighting misspellings of his name (“Omoleye” instead of “Omoyele”) and grammatical mistakes, which he said reflected Egbetokun’s incompetence.
Sowore’s legal troubles began after he posted a video on social media exposing alleged police extortion at a checkpoint in Lagos. Following this, he was invited for questioning at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) in Abuja on Monday, where he has since been detained.
His supporters continue to call for his immediate release, arguing that the charges are politically motivated.
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