The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the remand of human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), , at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the continuation of his trial on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
The order followed the dismissal of Sowore’s application seeking the recusal of the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, over allegations of bias in the ongoing cybercrime case instituted against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Sowore is facing a two-count charge bordering on cyberstalking and criminal defamation after allegedly referring to the President as a “criminal” in social media posts made in August 2025. The Federal Government, relying on provisions of Section 24 of the amended Cybercrimes Act, 2024, contends that the statements were knowingly false and capable of inciting public disorder. Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges and insists that his comments were protected by the constitutional right to free speech.
The case has witnessed a series of legal twists in recent weeks. In May 2026, Justice Umar dismissed an application seeking to strike out the charges, ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case requiring Sowore to enter his defence. Following a directive for day-to-day trial proceedings, Sowore’s legal team withdrew from the matter in early June, after which the activist elected to represent himself and subsequently filed a motion accusing the judge of bias.
Meanwhile, the court had earlier revoked Sowore’s self-recognition bail and issued a bench warrant for his arrest after he failed to appear for a scheduled hearing on June 16. While the prosecution described his absence as a deliberate attempt to delay proceedings, Sowore maintained that he had attended the previous sitting only to discover that the judge was absent and had duly notified the court registry of his subsequent travel plans. With the dismissal of his bias application, the court ordered his remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the resumption of proceedings later this week.
