Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore was placed on immediate remand at the Kuje Correctional Center by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
According to Newspaper, Sowore will be detained until Wednesday, June 24, 2026, when court cases are expected to resume.
The Department of State Services (DSS) filed a two-count cybercrime case against Sowore in August 2025 after he called President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” in a social media post. The charges include cyberstalking and criminal defamation.
Sowore refers to President Tinubu as a “criminal” in posts on Facebook and X in August 2025 because to remarks he made while visiting Brazil.
Citing free speech, he rejects DSS’s requests to remove the posts.
Justice Mohammed Umar denies Sowore’s request to have the charges dropped in May 2026. Sowore is legally required to present his defence when the judge determines that the DSS produced a prima facie case.
Sowore’s legal team withdrew from the lawsuit earlier on June 5 in response to a court order for daily trial hearings.
Sowore chooses to represent himself and files a motion charging the court of prejudice, citing the “humiliation” his attorneys endured.
In the meantime, the prosecution calls Sowore’s failure to show up for a planned defence continuation on June 16, 2026, a “delay tactic.”
A bench warrant for his arrest is issued by Justice Umar, who also revokes his self-recognition bail.
According to the newspaper, Sowore’s plea to be disqualified due to claimed bias was officially dismissed by Justice Umar today, June 22, 2026.
The court ordered Sowore to be remanded at Kuje Correctional Center after the arrest.
The federal government’s complaint is based on provisions found in Section 24 of the modified Cybercrimes Act, 2024, according to Newspaper Online.
Sowore’s internet rhetoric, according to the prosecution, was purposefully used to provoke public unrest and was knowingly false. Sowore continues to enter a “not guilty” plea.
Sowore openly refuted the prosecution’s claim that his recent absence from court was a purposeful obstruction, stating that he had shown up for the prior scheduled meeting on June 15 but that the judge had been absent without warning.
When the court issued the arrest order the next day, it disregarded Sowore’s formal letter informing the registry of his subsequent journey.
Sowore is still being held, and the proceedings are scheduled to resume in the middle of the week.