Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has reportedly told President Bola Tinubu that human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, cannot be restrained by the Department of State Services (DSS), noting that his international passport remains withheld.
A senior government source told SaharaReporters that Egbetokun informed the President that Sowore’s movement is already restricted because his passport is retained, preventing him from leaving the country.
The disclosure comes amid an amended cyberstalking charge filed by the DSS against Sowore, who is accused of referring to President Tinubu as “a criminal” in social media posts.
Last Monday, Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja struck out Meta Platforms Inc. and X Corp. from the amended charge following an application by DSS counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN. The two technology companies were withdrawn during Sowore’s re-arraignment.
Sowore is now facing a two-count amended charge alleging cyberstalking under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024. The charge, filed on December 5, 2025, accuses him of making defamatory posts about President Tinubu on his verified X handle, @YeleSowore, and his Facebook page on or about August 25, 2025, with intent to cause public disorder.
Sowore pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court ordered the DSS to provide him with all prosecution materials, including evidence and a list of witnesses, following objections by his lead counsel, Abubakar Marshal, who argued that failure to do so violated the defendant’s right to fair hearing.
Justice Umar upheld the defence’s position, stressing that due process must be followed in criminal proceedings.
At the resumed hearing on January 22, 2026, the DSS called its first witness, Cyril Nosike, an operative of the service, who testified on screenshots of the alleged posts. A video of President Tinubu’s August 26, 2025 speech in Brazil was also tendered in evidence. Proceedings were briefly disrupted after the video was played, prompting reactions in the courtroom.
Justice Umar adjourned the case to January 27 for cross-examination of the prosecution’s witness.
Sowore’s passport has been in the custody of the Federal High Court since January 2025 as part of bail conditions imposed in earlier cybercrime-related cases. The continued retention of the document has restricted his ability to travel abroad, a situation Sowore and his supporters have criticised as punitive.
