Court Detains Sowore in Kuje Prison Over Defamation Case

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the continuation of his trial.

The order was issued by Justice Mohammed Umar, who directed that Sowore remain in custody until June 24, 2026, when the matter is scheduled to continue.

The case arose from a two-count charge filed by the Department of State Services accusing Sowore of cyberstalking and criminal defamation. The charges are linked to social media posts he made in August 2025 in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a criminal during discussions surrounding the President’s trip to Brazil.

According to the prosecution, the posts violated provisions of the amended Cybercrimes Act, 2024. The government maintains that the statements were false and capable of causing public unrest. Sowore has denied the allegations and continues to maintain his innocence.

The legal battle has witnessed several developments in recent months. In May 2026, the court declined an application seeking to strike out the charges after ruling that the prosecution had presented enough material for Sowore to open his defence.

The situation became more complicated earlier this month when members of Sowore’s legal team withdrew from the matter. The activist later chose to represent himself and subsequently filed an application seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case on grounds of alleged bias.

The court, however, dismissed the application on Monday and ruled that proceedings should continue.
The remand order also followed an earlier bench warrant issued after Sowore failed to appear in court for a scheduled hearing. The prosecution argued that his absence was delaying the trial.

Sowore, on his part, had maintained that he was present at an earlier court sitting only to discover that the judge was unavailable. He also stated that he informed the court registry about his travel plans before the warrant was issued.

With the latest ruling, the activist will remain at the Kuje Correctional Centre while the court prepares to resume hearing the case later this week.

The matter has continued to attract public attention due to the issues surrounding freedom of expression, cybercrime laws and the conduct of the proceedings. The court is expected to continue hearing the case when both parties return on Wednesday.