Omoyele Sowore, former presidential aspirant and activist, is set to be arraigned today, January 29, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over comments he made on social media referring to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun as an “illegal IG.”
Sowore faces three charges under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024. The charges, filed in suit FCH/ABJ/23/25, accuse him of knowingly spreading false information with the intent to disrupt public order.
According to court documents, the police claim Sowore used his verified X (formerly Twitter) account to make statements that could incite unrest. One of the charges alleges that on December 13, 2024, he deliberately referred to Egbetokun as “illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun,” knowing it to be false and capable of causing disorder.
Another charge accuses him of making statements intended to incite Nigerians against the police and tarnish the reputation of the IGP. The third count references a December 20, 2024, post in which Sowore allegedly wrote:
"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. #EgbetokunMustGo #Revolution."
The police claim these statements were meant to provoke unrest and undermine their authority.
Sowore’s legal team, led by human rights lawyer Marshall Abubakar, has confirmed that they will challenge the charges in court. Meanwhile, political activist Deji Adeyanju has described the case as an abuse of legal processes, vowing a strong defense.
Sowore was arrested on Monday after allegedly refusing to comply with police bail conditions related to separate accusations of obstructing public officers and cyberstalking. His arraignment comes amid ongoing tensions between him and Nigerian authorities, especially following a viral video he posted in December, where he accused police officers of extortion at a checkpoint in Lagos.
