Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday granted Mr. Omoyele Sowore bail on self-recognition, cautioning him against making any statements capable of inciting the public against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sowore’s bail followed his arraignment by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime. He is accused of making derogatory remarks about President Tinubu on his social media platforms.

Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, pleaded not guilty to all charges after they were read to him.

Earlier in the proceedings, his counsel, Mr. Marshall Abubakar, challenged the competence of the suit, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction. The prosecution objected, noting that it had only just been served with the defence’s processes and required time to respond.

In a brief ruling, Justice Umar held that the jurisdictional objection was not ready for hearing because the prosecution had been served that morning, and must be given adequate time to file a counter-affidavit. He subsequently directed that the charges be read to the defendant.

Following Sowore’s plea, his counsel applied for bail on self-recognition, a request the prosecution opposed on the grounds that the defendant posed a flight risk. Justice Umar, however, granted the application and adjourned the matter to 19 January 2026 for trial.

The case stems from a September filing by the DSS over Sowore’s social media posts concerning Tinubu. In response, Sowore instituted a counter-suit against the DSS, Meta, and X, challenging what his lawyers described as unconstitutional censorship of his accounts on the platforms.

His lawyer, Mr. Tope Temokun, said the lawsuit concerns the survival of free speech in Nigeria. According to him, “If state agencies can dictate to global platforms who may speak and what may be said, then no Nigerian is safe; their voices will be silenced at the whims of those in power.

“Censorship of political criticism is alien to democracy. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in Section 39, guarantees every citizen the right to freedom of expression, without interference. No security agency, no matter how powerful, can suspend or delete those rights.”