The trial of activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore took a new turn when his lawyer challenged the Department of State Services over its handling of past comments made by Reno Omokri about President Bola Tinubu.
During proceedings, Sowore’s counsel, Marshal Abubakar, confronted a DSS operative, Cyril Nosike, while cross-examining him as the first prosecution witness. Abubakar presented a flash drive containing video clips of Omokri from a 2023 television interview. The footage was played in open court and showed Omokri making serious allegations against Tinubu and stating at the time that he would not work with him.
After the videos were shown, Sowore’s lawyer questioned why Omokri was later cleared by the DSS for an ambassadorial role despite the statements. The DSS witness told the court that he could not provide an explanation.
The prosecution lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), objected to the admission of the flash drive and other materials, but the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, rejected the objection and allowed the exhibits to be tendered as evidence.
Sowore is facing a two-count amended charge under the Cybercrimes Act. The case is linked to a social media post he made on August 25, 2025, where he described President Tinubu as a criminal following comments by the president during a visit to Brazil that his government had ended corruption in Nigeria.
According to the prosecution, the DSS wrote to social media platforms X and Meta, asking that Sowore’s accounts be restricted and the post removed. The agency also contacted Sowore directly with a similar request. When neither Sowore nor the platforms complied, charges were filed against him. Prosecutors claim the post was capable of causing unrest and damaging the president’s reputation.
Other documents presented in court included printed copies of Sowore’s posts on X and Facebook, as well as letters sent by the DSS to the platforms. During further questioning, Sowore’s lawyer asked whether the DSS had taken a statement from President Tinubu or confirmed that he was aware of the post. The witness said no statement was obtained and could not confirm if the president knew about it.
The court adjourned the case to February 4, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
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