Publisher of Sahara Reporters and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has clashed with security operatives who attempted to stop him from entering the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The officers, drawn from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were stationed at the court during the trial of former Kogi State governor Yahaya Bello, who is facing charges of money laundering and misappropriation of public funds.
In a video posted on his X account on Monday, Sowore confronted the security operatives, questioning their authority to prevent his entry.
“Why are you shouting at me? Do I look like Yahaya Bello?” he asked.
“I have business in court. I don’t need to be cleared by either the police or EFCC because none of you is an officer of the court.”
Sowore accused the security personnel of working with Nigerian leaders to undermine the judiciary, insisting that their presence at the court was unnecessary.
“This is a Federal High Court; bring a court official, and I will talk to them. EFCC brought me to court, and they are still harassing us.
“You have no right to stand in front of the high court. You are not my lawyer and have no right to know my case,” he stated.
Despite initial resistance, the security operatives eventually allowed him to enter after a police officer directed his colleagues to stand down.
Condemning the incident, Sowore wrote, “The justice system in Nigeria has been hijacked by uniformed, uncouth security agents ranging from @OfficialDSSNG, @PoliceNG, and @CivilDefenceNGR. Today, they mounted illegally in front of the court, harassing everybody because of a thief, Yahaya Bello @officialgybkogi. The same Yahaya Bello they couldn’t apprehend for months; even lawyers were harassed, and the @NigBarAssoc should stop this nonsense.”
In January 2025, Sowore was arrested and charged with 17 counts under the Cybercrime Act for referring to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP” on his social media platforms. The charges allege that Sowore’s statements were intended to cause a breakdown of law and order.
Sowore’s arrest sparked criticism from various human rights organizations, which view the charges as an attempt to suppress dissent and freedom of expression. The Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) condemned the arrest, describing it as a misuse of legal provisions intended to combat genuine cyber threats.
On January 30, 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted Sowore bail in the sum of N10 million and ordered him to deposit his international passport. His trial is scheduled to commence on April 8, 2025.
