A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out the cyberbullying charges filed against former presidential candidate and human rights activist Omoyele Sowore by the immediate past Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, citing a lack of diligent prosecution .
Justice Musa Liman delivered the ruling on Tuesday following an application by Sowore’s legal team, led by Marshall Abubakar, requesting that the case be dismissed due to inaction by the police .
The charges, filed under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, stemmed from Sowore’s public reference to Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP” in posts on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account in December 2024 .
During Tuesday’s proceedings, the prosecution sought a short adjournment to allow the lead counsel to personally handle the case. The defence opposed this request, insisting that the charges be struck out due to the prolonged delay .
In his ruling, Justice Liman observed that the police had not moved the prosecution forward since Sowore’s arraignment in January 2025, noting that this delay violated Section 351 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) .
“The charge FHC/ABJ/CR/23/2025 is struck out and accordingly dismissed,” Justice Liman declared, formally ending the case against the activist .
The original charge, dated January 28, 2025, listed the former IGP as the complainant and Sowore as the sole defendant. It alleged that Sowore published messages against the Inspector General of Police, referring to him as “illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun,” and that these statements were false and intended to incite public disorder .
Some counts of the charge specifically cited Sowore’s posts from December 13 and December 20, 2024, including one that stated: “The illegal IG of Nigeria Police Force, Kayode Egbetokun, will make the next #ENDSARS inevitable! He is working tirelessly towards it. Just a matter of time. #EgbetekunMustGo #Revolution” .
Following the ruling, Sowore described the prosecution as part of a broader pattern of state repression, alleging that the case was used to seize his passport in January 2025 and limit his movements .
“I have seen so many of these unjust cases brought against me, and people go down. It’s not that I’m bragging,” Sowore said, citing former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, and former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami as individuals he claimed had “gone down” after participating in what he described as persecution .
The activist also reacted to Egbetokun’s removal from office, rejecting claims that divine intervention influenced President Bola Tinubu’s decision. “That’s why he’s going around shouting that it is God that told Tinubu to fire him. God did not speak with Tinubu. God spoke to me,” Sowore said .
The now-dismissed case had drawn national attention, with civil society organisations and rights advocates warning that the use of cybercrime laws against critics poses a threat to freedom of expression in Nigeria .
Legal observers note that the judgment may influence future cases involving allegations of cyberstalking and the application of cybercrime legislation in matters related to free speech .
As of the time of this report, it remains unclear whether the police authorities will file fresh charges or appeal the ruling .
