Federal High Court rules DSS established prima facie case over alleged online remarks against President Tinubu

The Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a no-case submission filed by activist Omoyele Sowore in his ongoing cyberbullying trial, paving the way for him to enter a defence.

Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar held that the Department of State Services (DSS) had successfully established a prima facie case against Sowore in the two-count charge before the court.

Sowore is being prosecuted by the DSS over allegations that he cyberbullied President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a “criminal” on his Twitter (now X) account. In his no-case submission, the activist had urged the court to discharge and acquit him, arguing that the prosecution failed to substantiate the allegations.

However, Justice Umar ruled that the evidence presented by the DSS sufficiently linked Sowore to the alleged offences and met the legal threshold required at this stage of the trial.

Following the decision, the court directed Sowore to open his defence, marking the next phase of the proceedings. The case was subsequently adjourned to a later date for continuation of trial.