A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has dismissed the cyberbullying case filed against activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, by former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The trial judge, Justice Musa Liman, struck out the case after upholding an application by the defence, which argued that the prosecution had failed to diligently pursue the matter.
Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, had urged the court to dismiss the charges, citing prolonged inactivity on the part of the police since the defendant’s arraignment in January 2025.
“The prosecution has not shown seriousness in proceeding with this case. Justice delayed in this manner undermines the rights of the defendant,” Abubakar argued.
During the hearing, the prosecution requested a short adjournment to allow its lead counsel to personally handle the case. However, the defence opposed the request, insisting that the continued delay was unjustifiable.
In his ruling, Justice Liman agreed with the defence, noting that there had been no meaningful progress in the case for several months.
“The prosecution has failed to demonstrate diligence in the pursuit of this matter since arraignment,” the judge said.
“This constitutes a violation of Section 351 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.”
He subsequently declared, “The charge is hereby struck out and dismissed.”
The charges stemmed from allegations that Sowore used his verified X (formerly Twitter) account to publish statements describing Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP,” which the police claimed were false and capable of inciting public unrest.
Prosecutors also alleged that some of the posts were intended to provoke Nigerians against the Nigeria Police Force and damage the reputation of the police leadership.
All counts were filed under provisions of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024.
With the court’s decision, the case against Sowore has now been formally brought to an end.
