The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 2, 2026, for the continuation of the defence of African Action Congress presidential candidate and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, in the cyberstalking case brought against him by the Department of State Services.
Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the case after a disagreement between prosecution and defence lawyers over the appearance of a DSS official expected to testify for Sowore.
The latest proceedings have also created uncertainty over an earlier announced plan to seek a temporary suspension of the trial during the 2027 election campaign.
In August, the DSS had publicly said its Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, directed prosecution counsel Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, to take steps towards temporarily suspending the proceedings to enable Sowore participate fully in electioneering activities.
The agency had indicated that the trial could resume after the election.
However, when the matter resumed before Justice Umar, Sowore’s lead counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, drew the court’s attention to reports concerning the proposed suspension.
Kehinde told the court that he was not aware of the media reports being relied upon and maintained that the prosecution was prepared to proceed with the trial.
Channels Television similarly reported that the DSS did not seek the anticipated long adjournment and that the matter would proceed with Sowore’s defence on October 2. Channels Television
Dispute over DSS witness
The immediate procedural difficulty concerns a DSS official expected to testify for the defence.
Sowore’s legal team had initially sought to subpoena DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Ajayi in relation to correspondence sent to Sowore over his social-media posts.
Following an intervention involving the Attorney-General of the Federation, the defence agreed that another senior DSS official could appear instead of the Director-General. Premium Times
At the resumed sitting, the defence said it could not proceed without the witness.
The prosecution disagreed and argued that the defence bore responsibility for producing its subpoenaed witness.
Justice Umar granted the defence another opportunity and adjourned proceedings to October 2.
How the case began
The DSS prosecution arises from social-media posts published by Sowore in August 2025 on X and Facebook concerning President Tinubu.
The prosecution alleges that aspects of the posts amounted to offences under Nigeria’s cybercrime legislation.
Sowore denies wrongdoing.
The prosecution has already closed its case.
Earlier in the proceedings, the court dismissed Sowore’s no-case submission and directed him to enter his defence.
The case continues to attract wider legal interest because of the recurring debate surrounding Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act, freedom of expression and the limits of criminal liability for online speech.
LegalLinkz previously reported concerns raised by lawyers and media-rights advocates over the use of cyberstalking provisions in cases involving journalists, activists and social-media users. (legallinkz.com)
The Federal High Court has not yet determined Sowore’s guilt or innocence, and the allegations remain subject to the ongoing criminal proceedings.
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