The Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the remand of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, over his alleged failure to fulfil the conditions attached to the bail earlier granted to him.
The DSS is prosecuting Sowore on charges of alleged criminal defamation following claims that he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” in posts published on his verified X and Facebook accounts.
At Monday’s proceedings, prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, informed the court that Sowore had yet to perfect the fresh bail granted to him on June 30. He urged the court to revoke the temporary release previously granted and order the defendant’s return to prison custody until all bail conditions are fully met.
Kehinde argued that although Sowore was released to a lawyer after the court granted him bail pending the fulfilment of the conditions, he had failed to complete the required process. He maintained that court orders must be respected and should not be treated lightly.
Counsel to the defendant, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, opposed the application, insisting that efforts to satisfy the bail conditions were already underway.
According to Olumide-Fusika, the defence had substantially complied with the requirements, adding that the verification process rested with the court and was still ongoing.
After hearing submissions from both parties, Justice Mohammed Umar said that although he had signed Sowore’s release order at the previous sitting, he would wait until the close of business on Monday to assess the level of compliance with the bail conditions before deciding whether to order the defendant’s remand.
Meanwhile, the trial also progressed as Sowore opened his defence by calling his first witness, Abuja-based lawyer Deji Adeyanju.
