By Editorial Desk
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has raised concerns over what he described as a “deeply troubling” sequence of legal maneuvers surrounding a cybercrime case previously filed against him by the Nigeria Police Force.
In a statement shared via his verified Facebook page, Sowore recounted events at the Federal High Court following an earlier ruling by Justice Musa Liman, which struck out the cybercrime charges instituted during the tenure of former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
According to Sowore, rather than accept the court’s decision, individuals he described as loyalists of the former police chief initiated fresh legal steps to revive the matter.
“Rather than accept that ruling, Egbetokun, working through loyalists, orchestrated a fresh legal maneuver… a bizarre ex parte motion was filed to relist the same case for a fresh trial,” he stated.
He alleged that the move involved senior police officials, including ACP Bukola Kuti and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Emmanuel Ade Aina, who heads the Police Legal Directorate.
Sowore expressed surprise that the former IGP still appeared to wield influence within the force despite his reported removal from office.
“It is astonishing that even after his removal from office, Egbetokun appears to continue exerting influence within the police hierarchy,” he added.
The activist further revealed that his legal team, led by Barristers Marshal D.F. Abubakar and Rosemary Hamza of Adeyanju Deji’s chambers, faced delays in obtaining certified copies of the court’s ruling and final order striking out the case.
“Court officials stalled the process, citing public holiday,” he said, noting that efforts were also focused on retrieving his international passport and land documents submitted as bail conditions since January 2025.
He accused the court of imposing additional hurdles before releasing the documents.
“The judge refused to release it, at one point even suggesting that my wife and family must swear affidavits before it could be returned,” Sowore claimed.
Sowore also linked earlier adjournments in the case to what he now views as a broader pattern.
“The case itself suffered repeated deliberate adjournments… recent developments now cast those delays in a different light,” he said.
He further disclosed that the police initially filed an ex parte motion to relist the case, only to later submit another application seeking to withdraw that same motion.
Confusion reportedly trailed proceedings on the day in question, as Sowore and his legal team were informed that the matter was not scheduled for hearing, despite pending applications.
In a dramatic turn, Sowore said the court later relisted the case, entertained the police application, and ultimately allowed its withdrawal—effectively bringing the matter to a close.
“Justice Liman had relisted the matter, allowed a police lawyer to move their application, and, ironically, brought the entire case to an end through an ex parte order permitting the police to withdraw it,” he stated.
Sowore also recounted a tense moment at the court premises involving a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, identified as Musbau, who allegedly attempted to disperse him and journalists.
“He abruptly interrupted and attempted to bully both myself and members of the press to vacate the courtroom area,” Sowore alleged.
Following the court’s final decision, Sowore confirmed that his international passport was released and returned to him, ending what he described as a prolonged and unjustified seizure.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to publicly respond to the allegations as of press time.
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