The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Thursday, granted the human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, bail in the sum of N10m.
Sowore faces 17 counts of cybercrime, including accusations of calling the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, an “Illegal IGP” on his verified X handle.
Justice Musa Liman, delivering a ruling on his bail application, held that a person had the right to bail unless there were compelling reasons to deny it.
Shortly after his release, the activist was spotted among protesters at the front of the Federal High Court, who had besieged the premises to demand his unconditional release.
He briefly joined protesters outside the court, holding an “Egbetokun Must Go” placard before leaving the premises.
According to reports by Punch, on Wednesday that the defence counsel, Abubakar Marshal, prayed the court to grant his client bail, while the counsel for the IGP, Jonathan Udey, objected.
Relying on the police counter-affidavit to the bail application, Jonathan urged the court to deny Sowore bail.
Abubakar, however, urged the court to grant Sowore bail, stating that the court had a duty to grant bail at its discretion, regardless of the strength of the opposing arguments of the complainant.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Liman said although the police stated that Sowore had cronies within and outside Nigeria who could allegedly interfere with the trial, the police failed to prove how he could intimidate high-ranking police officers who would testify in the case.
He also said the prosecution did not establish any link between Sowore and the purported cronies.
“The bail applicant deserves his personal liberty pending the outcome of the trial. If the applicant desires to jump bail, it is at his peril.
“Bail is accordingly granted to the applicant in the sum of N10m with one surety in like sum,” the judge ruled.
Justice Liman also ordered him to deposit his international passport with the court, adding that the surety must be a responsible Nigerian citizen residing within the court’s jurisdiction.
He also held that the surety must submit an affidavit of means and title documents of landed property in the Federal Capital Territory, which must be verified by the court registrar, along with a valid means of identification. Abubakar then requested that his client be released to his legal team pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions within a few hours.
The judge granted Sowore 24 hours to remain with his lawyers and adjourned to April 8 for a hearing.
Meanwhile, the police, on Thursday, refuted Sowore’s claims that Egbetokun’s tenure elongation was illegal.
The IG’s stay in office sparked widespread controversy after he officially reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 on September 4.
In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/342/2024 and dated September 9, an Abuja-based lawyer, Maxwell Okpara, dragged the Federal Government before a High Court in Abuja to challenge the tenure elongation of the Inspector General of Police.
He contended that Egbetokun, who was born on September 4, 1964, clocked the mandatory retirement age of 60 in 2024, according to the Public Service Rule, and was expected to have left office.
The matter is yet to be decided.
Addressing the claims in a statement on Thursday, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said the appointment of Egbetokun was legal and was confirmed by the Police Council.
He said, “The Nigeria Police Force hereby refutes, in clear and unequivocal terms, the baseless and misleading claims recently attributed to Mr. Omoyele Sowore, alleging that the tenure of the IGP is illegal. Such claims are entirely unfounded and seek to undermine the legitimacy of the IGP’s appointment as well as public confidence in the Nigeria Police.
“IGP Egbetokun’s appointment is firmly grounded in law, specifically PART III, Section 7(6) of the Police Act, 2020 (as amended). This provision explicitly states that ‘The person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years.’
“Moreover, his appointment was duly ratified by the Police Council, and he has received the requisite confirmation letter from the Presidency, validating his tenure from October 31, 2023, to October 31, 2027, in line with the provisions of Section 8A of the executive bill passed, which amended the Police Act. This amendment clearly states that ‘Any person appointed to the office of Inspector-General of Police shall remain in office until the end of the term stipulated in the letter of appointment in line with the provisions of section 7(6) of this Act.’
“The amendment aims to provide stability and continuity in the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force, enabling the IGP to implement long-term plans and policies without fear of abrupt termination. This change is expected to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the police force in maintaining law and order in the country.”
Adejobi urged the public to disregard Sowore’s claims, adding that his assertions were aimed at turning the public against the IG.
He said, “It is crucial for members of the public to be aware that IGP Egbetokun’s status as the 22nd Indigenous Inspector-General of Police is both legally and procedurally sound.
“The Nigeria Police Force views Mr. Sowore’s unfounded assertions as an attempt to erode public trust and foster confusion regarding the force’s leadership. Dissemination of inaccurate information, particularly about the IGP’s standing, has the potential to compromise the security framework of our nation and impede our collective efforts to ensure peace and order.
