The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the arraignment of Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, to November 5, 2025.
The case, which was scheduled for Monday for Sowore and his co-defendants to take their pleas, could not proceed due to the absence of the trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, who was sitting in another division of the court.
The court, therefore, adjourned the matter to November 5 for the arraignment of Sowore alongside X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Inc., listed as the first to third defendants.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the judge had earlier, on September 30, fixed October 27 to give Sowore adequate time to prepare his defence.
Sowore, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 and 2023 elections, is facing a five-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 and dated September 16, accuses Sowore of making a false statement against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by describing him as “a criminal” on his X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook pages.
The DSS alleged that the post violated provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, and was capable of causing a breakdown of law and order among Nigerians with differing opinions about the President.
Count one of the charge cited Sowore’s August 25 post on his verified X handle, @YeleSowore, which read:
“THIS CRIMINAL @OFFICIALPBAT ACTUALLY WENT TO BRAZIL TO STATE THAT THERE IS NO MORE CORRUPTION UNDER HIS REGIME IN NIGERIA. WHAT AUDACITY TO LIE SHAMELESSLY!”
The prosecution claims Sowore knew the statement was false and intended to incite public unrest.
The case will now come up on November 5 for Sowore and his co-defendants to be formally arraigned.
