The cybercrimes trial of activist Omoyele Sowore drew significant attention and prominent figures in solidarity to the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he was scheduled to be arraigned by the Ngieran police on Wednesday.
Among those present were former senator, Shehu Sani, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, the Country Director, Action Aid, Andrew Mamedu, and his predecessor, Ene Obi.
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Also, some Nigerian youths and members of the Mr Sowore-led Take It Back Movement (TIB) thronged the court in support of the human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Nigerian police charged Mr Sowore on Tuesday with 17 counts of cybercrime offences for referring to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, as “illegal IGP” in a post on his social media platforms.
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Mr Egbetokun, who was expected to have exited service having attained the statutory retirement age of 60 years in September 2024, secured an extended stay in office following a controversial alteration to the Nigeria Police Act passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
The alteration allowed Mr Egbetokun to stay in office for up to four years as Nigeria’s police chief.
The police alleged in the indictment filed on Tuesday that Mr Sowore knew that the description of Mr Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP” was false, but knowingly made the claim to cause a “breakdown of law and order”.
They alleged that the act constituted an offence contrary to section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 as amended (2024) and punishable under section 24(2)(c) (ii) of the same Act.
‘Ridiculous charges’
Mr Sowore, who has been detained by the police in Abuja since Monday when he honoued a police invitation, described the charges as ridiculous.
“These have to be some of the most ridiculous charges ever filed by Nigerian law enforcement agents. Omoyele Sowore to face charges for calling retired and fired IGP Kayode Egbetokun ‘Illegal IGP’,” Mr ,Sowore in a message he circulated via his Whatsapp line on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: Police charge Sowore with cybercrime for calling Egbetokun ‘illegal IGP’
Mr Sowore also mocked the charges in a Faceboook post, portraying blunders in the filling as justifying his accusation that Mr Egbetokun was incompetent.
“Sowore claimed IG of Nigeria Police Force, KAYODE Egbetokun, was illegal and incompetent, then he quickly moved to court to file charges for cybercrime, with incorrect spellings of Sowore’s 1st name and wrong spelling of ‘incite’.” Mr Sowore wrote on Facebook Tuesday night.
A review of the charges by PREMIUM TIMES shows that Mr Sowore’s first name was misspelt as “Omoleye” instead of “Omoyele” across the 17 counts.
The activist was invited for questioning by the police over a video clip he uploaded on social media alleging extortion by officers at a checkpoint in Lagos.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Sowore honoured a police invitation at the Force Intelligence Department (FID) complex of the Nigerian police in Abuja on Monday.
