A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has withdrawn the bail previously granted to activist, publisher and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, and ordered his arrest over his absence from court in an ongoing criminal defamation case.
Delivering his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Mohammed Umar held that Sowore failed to appear before the court and did not provide a satisfactory explanation for his absence.
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The court subsequently issued a bench warrant directing law enforcement authorities to produce the defendant before the court.
Sowore is facing prosecution by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations that he made defamatory statements against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through posts published on his X and Facebook accounts, where he allegedly referred to the President as “a criminal.”
The ruling followed an application by the prosecution counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, who challenged a letter sent by Sowore requesting an adjournment of the proceedings.
At the hearing, Kehinde informed the court that the matter had initially been scheduled for Monday but was shifted to Tuesday after notification from the court registrar.
He noted that although Sowore was aware of the new date, he neither appeared in court nor sent legal representation on his behalf.
The prosecution therefore urged the court to revoke the defendant’s bail and issue a warrant for his arrest.
Justice Umar drew attention to a letter submitted by Sowore seeking a postponement of the case. However, the prosecution argued that the request lacked merit because no reasons were provided to justify the adjournment.
In his ruling, the judge observed that Sowore had been present in court on Monday and was fully aware that the matter had been rescheduled.
He further noted that the defendant’s letter requested a new hearing date in July or September but failed to explain why the adjournment should be granted.
According to the court, Sowore was also aware of an earlier directive that the trial would proceed on a day-to-day basis.
Justice Umar expressed concern over what he described as repeated delays since the case entered the defence stage in March, stating that most adjournments had been sought by the defendant.
The judge held that Sowore’s absence amounted to a violation of the court’s order made under Section 169 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Consequently, the court revoked his bail and ordered that a bench warrant be issued to secure his attendance.
“A bench warrant is hereby issued to compel the defendant’s appearance before this court,” the judge ruled.
The matter was subsequently adjourned until June 22, when the court is expected to rule on Sowore’s application seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case.
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