The scheduled arraignment of activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore was on Monday postponed after the presiding judge failed to appear in court.
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, was reported to be presiding over proceedings in another division, leading to the adjournment of the case.
The court has now fixed 5 November for Sowore and co-defendants — X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook) — to take their plea.
The case, instituted by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government, centres on allegations that Sowore made false and defamatory claims against President Bola Tinubu via social media.
Sowore, who contested Nigeria’s presidency under the African Action Congress in 2019 and 2023, faces a five-count charge under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.
Prosecutors allege that on 25 August, he posted a message on X describing President Tinubu as “a criminal” and accusing him of dishonesty regarding corruption in his administration. The prosecution claims he knew the statement to be false and intended it to provoke unrest.
The charge was filed on 16 September, days after the DSS reportedly requested the removal of the post from his X and Facebook pages.
The case will continue on 5 November.
