Court Rejects Sowore’s No-Case Submission

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission filed by activist Omoyele Sowore in a cyberbullying case brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Sowore is facing charges linked to alleged cyberbullying of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including claims that he described the President as a “criminal” on his social media account.

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar delivered the ruling on Friday, stating that the prosecution had presented enough evidence to establish a prima facie case. The court therefore ordered Sowore to enter his defence.

In the case, Sowore had asked the court to discharge and acquit him on the two-count charge, arguing that the evidence presented by the DSS was insufficient to require him to defend himself.

However, Justice Umar ruled against the application, holding that the DSS had successfully linked the activist to the alleged offences. The judge concluded that the matter should proceed to the defence stage.

The ruling means the case will continue, with Sowore now required to respond formally to the allegations in court.

The charges stem from statements allegedly made on Sowore’s verified Twitter account, which the DSS claims amounted to cyberbullying under Nigerian law.

The case has drawn public attention, adding to ongoing debates around freedom of expression and the limits of online speech in Nigeria.

Do you think cyberbullying laws should be applied more strictly to political speech online?