Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday granted bail to Omoyele Sowore on self-recognition, cautioning him to refrain from making statements capable of inciting the public against President Bola Tinubu.

Sowore, the #RevolutionNow convener, was arraigned by the Department of State Services (DSS) on a five-count charge bordering on alleged cybercrime, specifically accusations that he made derogatory remarks about President Tinubu on his social media platforms. He pleaded not guilty after the charges were read.

Before the plea was taken, Sowore’s counsel, Marshall Abubakar, challenged the competence of the suit, arguing that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction. The prosecution objected, pointing out that it had only just been served with the defence’s processes and required time to respond.

In a brief ruling, Justice Umar held that the objection on jurisdiction was not ripe for determination since the prosecution was served that same morning. He said the prosecution must be given adequate time to file a counter-affidavit, after which he ordered that the charges be read to the defendant.

Following the not-guilty plea, Abubakar applied for bail on self-recognition. The prosecution opposed the request, claiming Sowore posed a flight risk. Justice Umar disagreed and granted the application, fixing January 19, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

The development comes months after the DSS filed a case against Sowore over his social media posts. In response, Sowore instituted a counter-suit against the DSS, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter).

His lawyer, Tope Temokun, said the suit challenges what he described as the “unconstitutional censorship” of Sowore’s social media accounts, insisting it is a battle for freedom of expression in Nigeria.

“This is about the survival of free speech in Nigeria. If state agencies can dictate to global platforms who may speak and what may be said, then no Nigerian is safe their voices will be silenced at the whims of those in power,” Temokun said.

He argued that censorship of political criticism contradicts democratic principles, adding that Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression.

“No security agency, no matter how powerful, can suspend or delete those rights,” he added.