Alleged cybercrime, defamation: Court grants Sowore ₦200m bail. By Kunle Michael
Alleged cybercrime, defamation: Court grants Sowore ₦200m bail.
By Kunle Michael

The presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, admitted Sowore to bail in the sum of ₦200 million with two sureties.

The court ruled that one of the sureties must be a traditional ruler from Sowore’s community, while the second must own landed property within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Justice Umar further directed that the sureties be verified by the prosecution before the bail conditions are perfected.
The court also ordered Sowore to deposit his international passport with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court pending the conclusion of the trial.
Following the ruling, the activist was released to his legal team.
Meanwhile, fresh details from Tuesday’s proceedings revealed that Sowore’s counsel, R. O. Adakole, appealed to the court to release his client to him to enable him retrieve his passport from the United States Embassy in Lagos.
After hearing the application, Justice Mohammed Umar adjourned the matter until Monday, July 6, 2026, when the defence is expected to open its case and the hearing will continue.

