Omoyele Sowore Remanded in Kuje Prison
Last update: June 22, 2026
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A single social media post from 2025 has landed a presidential candidate back behind bars.
Things escalated quickly for human rights activist and AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore this week.
On Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his immediate remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre, cbinews.tv reports. He will remain in custody until Wednesday, 24 June 2026, when legal proceedings are due to resume.
The case traces back to August 2025. Sowore posted on X and Facebook, calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” over comments the president made during a trip to Brazil. The Department of State Services then filed a two-count cybercrime charge, accusing him of cyberstalking and criminal defamation.
Sowore refused DSS demands to delete the posts, citing free speech.
The legal back and forth has been tense. In May 2026, Justice Mohammed Umar rejected Sowore’s application to drop the charges, ruling that the DSS had established a prima facie case and that Sowore would need to open his defence.
Then on 5 June, after the court directed daily trial hearings, Sowore’s legal team withdrew from the case. Citing the “humiliation” his lawyers faced, he chose to represent himself and filed a motion accusing the judge of bias.
Matters came to a head on 16 June 2026. Sowore failed to appear for a scheduled defence continuation and the prosecution called it a “delay tactic”. Justice Umar revoked his self-recognition bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Today, 22 June 2026, Justice Umar officially dismissed Sowore’s motion seeking his disqualification over alleged bias. Following the arrest order, the court directed that Sowore be remanded at Kuje.
The federal government’s case hinges on Section 24 of the amended Cybercrimes Act, 2024. Prosecutors argue that Sowore’s online rhetoric was knowingly false and intentionally used to incite public disorder. Sowore has maintained a plea of “not guilty”.
While the prosecution claims his recent absence from court was deliberate obstruction, Sowore says otherwise. He stated publicly that he arrived at court for the previous sitting on 15 June, only to find the judge absent without notice, cbinews.tv reports.
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