A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned until June 30 its ruling on an application by human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, seeking the restoration of his bail. Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the date after hearing arguments from Sowore’s legal team in the case brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) over comments in which he described President Bola Tinubu as “a criminal.”
During Wednesday’s proceedings, Sowore’s counsel, R.O. Adakole, urged the court to temporarily release the activist to his lawyers pending the ruling on the bail application. He argued that Sowore had consistently appeared before the court and had never violated his bail conditions since the case began.
Justice Umar, however, declined the request, stating that he needed to thoroughly review the affidavits and other court documents before making a decision. Despite repeated appeals from the defence, the judge maintained his position and refused to grant temporary release.
The bail application follows the court’s decision on June 16 to revoke Sowore’s bail and issue a bench warrant after he failed to appear for a scheduled proceeding. Sowore had earlier sought the judge’s recusal, alleging bias and arguing that he could not receive a fair hearing before the court.
The case has continued to generate public interest, with civil society groups and rights advocates criticising the revocation of Sowore’s bail and raising concerns about freedom of expression, judicial conduct and the treatment of government critics. The controversy has also renewed scrutiny of Justice Umar over previous courtroom actions that attracted criticism from lawyers and activists.
