The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed January 22, 2026, for the commencement of trial in the case filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) against activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore over alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation of President Bola Tinubu.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar adjourned the matter on Monday after Sowore was arraigned on an amended two-count charge bordering on cyberbullying of the President through social media posts.
Sowore pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him in open court.
The case stems from a five-count charge filed by the DSS in September 2025 against Sowore, alongside X Corp and Meta Platforms Inc., over online posts in which President Tinubu was described as a “criminal.”
However, following an application by the DSS’s counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, the court struck out the two foreign technology companies as co-defendants.
In an earlier ruling, Justice Umar held that X Corp and Meta Platforms Inc. were no longer proper parties to the suit, clearing the way for an amended charge dated December 5, 2025, against Sowore alone.
The amended charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, accuses Sowore of cyberstalking, contrary to provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention and Amendment) Act, 2024.
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Prosecutors allege that on August 25, 2025, Sowore used his verified X handle, @YeleSowore, and his Facebook page to publish statements referring to President Tinubu as a “criminal.”
According to the DSS, the posts were knowingly false and capable of causing a breakdown of law and order, as well as posing a threat to national stability.
Attempts by the prosecution to commence trial immediately were stalled after defence counsel, Abubakar Marshall, objected on procedural grounds.
Marshall argued that the prosecution had failed to attach a list of witnesses and proof of evidence, in violation of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
In his ruling, Justice Umar upheld the objection and directed the prosecution to furnish the defence with the list of witnesses, their particulars and all relevant documents.
The case was subsequently adjourned to January 22, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Notably, the alleged offences carry a statutory penalty of a fine of not less than N15 million, or imprisonment for up to five years, or both.
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