Sowore Yet To Fulfil Bail Conditions In Defamation Case

Presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, risks being remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, following his inability to perfect the bail conditions granted him by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He had described some members of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s cabinet as those destroying the country through corruption.

Specifically, he mentioned the chief of staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, as the leader of corrupt politicians in Tinubu’s cabinet.

At the resumption of the defamation charges slammed on him by the Department of Security Services (DSS) for allegedly calling Tinubu a criminal in his X and Facebook handles, the DSS lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), informed the court that the defendant had yet to fulfil the bail conditions.

He consequently applied to the court for an order remanding Sowore in  Kuje Correctional Centre.

Kehinde argued that court orders are meant to be obeyed, adding that since Sowore had not complied with them by perfecting the bail conditions, the consequence is his remand until the conditions are fully met.

Although Justice Umar released Sowore to his lawyer pending the perfection of the bail conditions, the DSS lawyer argued that till yesterday, the defendant had not communicated to him any challenge to meeting the bail conditions or to filing any application for variations of the bail conditions.  ‎

‎”The defendant was released to a lawyer to bring his passport to be deposited with the court. That has not been communicated to us, and other conditions of the bail have not been met. The law is trite, no sentiment. Our application is that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional Centre until the bail conditions are met,” he said.

However, counsel to the defendant, Olumide Fusika, told the court that bail is not for punishment but to enable the accused to attend trial, and that it is incorrect to say the conditions have not yet been met.  ‎
‎He added that document verification has been substantially completed. Fusika assures the court that the passport will be deposited in court before the close of work yesterday.

‎The defence counsel said there was a slight delay in recovering the passport from the American Embassy in Lagos because Friday was the country’s 250th anniversary celebration and the embassy was on holiday.

‎Fusika prayed the court to allow Sowore to be in his care until the next adjourned date, 13th July, as everything will be done to ensure the terms of bail are met. ‎

‎Meanwhile, Sowore yesterday opened his defence by calling his first witness, an Abuja-based lawyer, Deji Adeyanju. ‎

‎Led in evidence by Fusika, the witness told the court that President Tinubu, during an official engagement in Benue State, said citizens have the right to insult, criticise, and call him names, and that law enforcement agencies should allow citizens to exercise their rights, as this is part of democracy.  ‎ ‎

Adeyanju also said that the President said that the judiciary should be the guardian of the public and should not be used as an instrument of oppression against critics. The video clips of the President’s remarks were tendered as an exhibit via a flash drive.

‎The case has been adjourned to July 13 for the continuation of the trial. ‎