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The Federal High Court in Abuja has returned the passport of activist Omoyele Sowore, after throwing out a cybercrime case filed against him by the Nigeria Police Force. The charge was linked to his social media posts about former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The trial judge, Musa Liman, ruled that the police failed to properly pursue the case since Sowore was first arraigned in January 2025.
At the last hearing, the prosecution asked for more time to change its lawyer. Sowore’s legal team opposed the request and urged the court to dismiss the case altogether. The judge agreed, striking it out on the grounds of lack of diligent prosecution.
Although the police later tried to revive the matter by filing an application to relist the case, they eventually withdrew it in open court. With that move, the court struck out the application, effectively bringing the case to an end. This cleared the way for Sowore’s passport—earlier seized as part of his bail conditions—to be released to him through his lawyers.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Bar Association has criticised Sowore over a separate incident at the same court. The association said his actions during a courtroom session fell short of expected standards.
NBA President, Afam Osigwe, described the episode as a serious breach of courtroom decorum. According to him, Sowore entered the courtroom with a group carrying cameras and began speaking as though he was addressing a press conference, even though his case was not scheduled for a hearing that day.
The situation reportedly created tension and led to a confrontation with Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musibau Adetunbi, who objected to the conduct.
THE COURT SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A STAGE FOR MEDIA BRIEFING
Courtrooms in a constitutional democracy are open to the public not as arenas for performance, but as sanctuaries for the orderly administration of justice. Their openness promotes transparency and public confidence, yet… pic.twitter.com/28UYnvC4lF
— AFAM OSIGWE (@afamosigwe) March 25, 2026
The NBA emphasised that courtrooms are meant strictly for the administration of justice, not for media displays or political activity. While members of the public are free to attend proceedings, the association said they must respect court rules and maintain order.
It also called on court authorities to ensure that such an incident does not occur and to protect the dignity of judicial proceedings.
Reacting to the NBA’s criticism, the Nigerian activist denied claims that he held a press conference at the court even though his case was not scheduled for a hearing that day. He said the statement issued by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association marked “another sad day for democracy in Nigeria.”
Response to @NigBarAssoc President @afamosigwe
I have read the statement issued by the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association @NigBarAssoc , and I must say this is yet another sad day for democracy in Nigeria.
While I understand that the NBA may feel compelled to defend… https://t.co/xUQq5Ovi5C pic.twitter.com/y5qXcs2NUz
— Omoyele Sowore (@sowore) March 25, 2026
