A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has rejected the no-case submission filed by activist Omoyele Sowore, in the cybercrime case brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar ruled that the DSS had presented enough evidence to require Sowore to enter a defence against the allegations.
Sowore is currently facing a two-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime offences.
He had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charges after being arraigned by the DSS.
The case is connected to a post Sowore made on X on August 25, where he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” while reacting to the president’s comments on corruption during a visit to Brazil.
Before filing the suit, the DSS reportedly asked X to suspend Sowore’s account.
The agency also demanded that he withdraw the post and publish a public apology in national newspapers within seven days.
After Sowore allegedly failed to meet those demands, legal proceedings were initiated against him.
Following Friday’s ruling, Sowore accused the trial judge of being biased in favour of the federal government.
He claimed there was an attempt to secure his conviction in order to stop him from participating in the 2027 elections.
The activist also requested that Justice Umar to rescue himself from the case and allow another judge to handle the matter.
His lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, supported the request, arguing that the judge had shown favouritism toward the federal government during the trial.
He urged the court to return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment.
In response, Justice Umar directed Sowore to file an application requesting his withdrawal from the case.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case to May 19 for Sowore to begin presenting his defence.
KanyiDaily recalls that the court recently dismissed the fundamental rights suit filed by Omoyele Sowore against the DSS, its Director-General, and Meta Platforms Incorporated, the parent company of Facebook.
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