Cyber Defamation: Court Overrules Sowore, Admits DSS Evidence of Him Calling President ‘Criminal’

*File photograph of Sowore 

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Thursday overruled a move by presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, to stop the Department of State Services (DSS) from tendering in evidence a flash drive containing video clips, including of him calling President Bola Tinubu ‘criminal’ in August 2025.

The court also admitted in evidence screen shots of the tweets Sowore made and the reactionary comments that his posts triggered.

The video recording was played while DSS lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, led Cyril Nosike, the 1st prosecution witness (PW-1) and an operative of the service, in evidence before Justice Mohammed Umar.

The prosecution also tendered Sowore’s message which he posted through his X handle and Meta, formerly known as Facebook, where he referred to the president as “criminal” and the reactions that followed, including a certificate of compliance.

Justice Umar admitted them in evidence and marked them as exhibits after counsel for the defendant, Marshal Abubakar, reserved his objection until final written addresses’ stage.

After the evidence-in-chief of the PW-1, Abubakar sought an adjournment to enable them study the witness’ statement and other documents front-loaded to them.

The judge adjourned the matter until Jan. 27 for cross-examination of the PW-1 and continuation hearing.

In the amended charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 and filed on Dec. 5, Sowore is named as sole defendant.

Although Sowore, X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp were named in the earlier charge as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively, in the amended charge, the names of 2nd and 3rd defendants were dropped.