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Tag: Sowore

  • Presidency berates Sowore over planned ‘Free Nnamdi Kanu’ protest

    Presidency berates Sowore over planned ‘Free Nnamdi Kanu’ protest

    The Presidency has lashed out at Omoyele Sowore over his plan to stage a protest march to the Presidential Villa, Abuja for the release of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

    Sowore is the publisher of the online news outlet, Sahara Reporters and was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 elections.

    In a post on his verified X handle, @aonanuga1956, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, described Sowore as “an anarchist masquerading as a rights activist,” accusing him of attempting to incite disorder under the guise of a protest.

    Sowore announced that the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration would hold on October 20 at 7 a.m., calling it a “historic” protest to press for Kanu’s release.

    Reacting, Onanuga said the move was a deliberate attempt to undermine the rule of law, warning that the IPOB leader’s ongoing trial on charges of treason must be allowed to run its lawful course.

    Read Also: Tinubu grants Herbert Macaulay, Vatsa, 173 others presidential pardon

    “You are nothing more than an anarchist masquerading as a rights activist. You very well know that Nnamdi Kanu is facing trial for treason, and yet you want to cause a breakdown of law and order by mobilising for a protest. Is this the kind of revolution you envisage for Nigeria, where the rule of law will be violated and your idea of justice would be the law of the jungle?” the presidential aide wrote.

    Onanuga also criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for expressing support for the planned protest, describing his stance as opportunistic and irresponsible for a statesman of his standing.

    “I am surprised that ex-VP Atiku Abubakar, who is always opportunistic, has supported the planned mob action. As a statesman, he should know better that matters of justice are not resolved on the streets but in the law court,” he said.

    The presidential spokesman reaffirmed that while the judicial process in Kanu’s case may appear slow, the administration remains committed to due process and the rule of law.

    “While the wheel of justice can sometimes be grindingly slow, partly caused by Kanu’s lawyers, Nnamdi Kanu will eventually get the justice he deserves for his alleged transgressions,” Onanuga added.

  • Court fixes October 27 for Sowore’s arraignment over alleged cybercrime

    Court fixes October 27 for Sowore’s arraignment over alleged cybercrime

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the arraignment of a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, till October 27 for making a false claim against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    Sowore, the publisher of Saraha Reporters and serial presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), was to be arraigned yesterday on a five-count charge the Department of State Services (DSS) filed against him and two others.

    The two other defendants listed in the charge are: X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.

    At the mention of the case yesterday, lawyer to the prosecution, Mohammed Abubakar, averred that the matter was scheduled for arraignment and applied that the defendants’ plea be taken.

    But Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, objected, stating one of the defendants – X Incorp – was not represented by either a lawyer or an official.

    Abubakar claimed that his client had not been served with the charge and that X was not represented.

    The defence lawyer contended that in a criminal case, it is mandatory that all the defendants are present in court for a proper arraignment to take place.

    Read Also: DSS vs Sowore: Court fixes Oct 27 for arraignment over false claim against Tinubu

    At that point, the judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, looked through the case file and confirmed that X and Meta were served with the charge electronically through their email addresses.

    On noting that Sowore was yet to be served personally (as required), the prosecuting lawyer sought the court’s permission to serve Sowore (who was in court) during the proceedings, a request the judge granted.

    But Sowore’s lawyer prayed for an adjournment to allow his client adequate time and opportunity to prepare for his defence, as provided for under Section 282(6) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

    Justice Umar adjourned till October 27 for Sowore’s arraignment.

  • Court postpones Sowore’s trial for allegedly making false claim against Tinubu

    Court postpones Sowore’s trial for allegedly making false claim against Tinubu

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the planned arraignment of a politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore, for making false claims against President Bola Tinubu to October 27.

    Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters and serial presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), was to be arraigned on Tuesday on a five-count charge brought against him and two others by the Department of State Services (DSS).

    The two other defendants listed in the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, are X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp.

    At the mention of the case on Tuesday, lawyer to the prosecution, Mohammed Abubakar, noted that the matter was scheduled for arraignment and applied that the defendants’ plea be taken.

    Lawyer to Sowore, Marshall Abubakar objected, noting that one of the defendants – X Incorp – was not represented by either a lawyer or an official.

    Abubakar claimed that his client had not yet been served with the charge. He also noted that X was not represented.

    The defence lawyer contended that, in a criminal case, it is mandatory that all the defendants are present in court for a proper arraignment to take place.

    At that point, the judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, looked through the case file and confirmed that X and Meta were served with the charge electronically, through their email addresses.

    On noting that Sowore was yet to be served personally (as required), the prosecuting lawyer sought the court’s permission to serve Sowore (who was in court) during the proceedings, a request the judge granted.

    Sowore’s lawyer, however, prayed for an adjournment to allow his client, who was just served the charge, adequate time and opportunity to prepare for his defense as provided under Section 282(6) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

    Justice Umar then adjourned till October 27 for arraignment.

    The charge was filed on September 16, a few days after an earlier request by the DSS on Facebook and X, the platforms allegedly deployed by Sowore for his said false claim, to pull the misleading message down.

    In the charge, Sowore, the presidential candidate of the AAC in 2019, is accused of contravening the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024, and the Criminal Code Act.

    Counts in the charge read:

    *That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 25th day of August, 2025, did use your official X handle page, @Yele Sowore, to send out a message/ tweet as: ‘This criminal @officialPBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly,’ which you know the said message to be false but posted it for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country, especially among individuals, who hold divergent views on the personality of the President and CommanderinChief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.

    *That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025, did use your official Facebook page, Omoyele Sowore, to send out a message/ post as: ‘This criminal @officialPBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly,’ which you know the said message/post to be false, but posted it for the purpose of causing a breakdown of law and order in the country, especially among individuals who hold divergent views on the personality of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Amendment Act, 2024.

    *That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 25th day of August, 2025, using the instrumentality of X, via your official X account @Yele Sowore, did knowingly publish defamatory material on your online platform viz: ‘This criminal @officialPBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly, against the personality and reputation of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

    *That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025, using the instrumentality of Facebook, via your official Facebook account Omoyele Sowore, did knowingly publish defamatory material on your online platform viz: ‘This criminal @officialPBAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is no more corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly,’ against the personality and reputation of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), and thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act.

    *That you, Omoyele Sowore, adult, male on or about the 26th day of August, 2025 with intent to cause public fear and disturbance, published false information on your official X and Facebook accounts @Yele Sowore, respectively, against the personality and reputation of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 59 of the Criminal Code Act and punishable under the same Act

  • Coalition slams Sowore over alleged smear campaign against DSS

    Coalition slams Sowore over alleged smear campaign against DSS

    A coalition of more than 90 media and civil society advocacy groups has condemned former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, over what it described as persistent attacks on government institutions, particularly the Department of State Services (DSS).

    Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the coalition’s convener, Emmanuel Oluwasegun, said Sowore’s approach was not reflective of responsible civil rights advocacy but rather a deliberate attempt to undermine national peace and security.

    He noted that while Sowore had the right to express his opinions as a citizen, his style had become “uncivil, impolite, and despicable,” accusing him of engaging in “institutional image smearing and deliberate blackmail” against the DSS and its Director General, Mr. Tosin Ajayi.

    Oluwasegun dismissed Sowore’s claims — including an allegation that the DSS boss placed a ₦20 million bounty on whistleblowers within the agency — as “political, meaningless, and trivial.”

    Read Also: Cybercrime: Sowore must face trial, U.S. group berates SERAP, AI

    He added that officers with genuine grievances over promotions should channel them formally rather than through Sowore’s platform.

    The coalition further accused Sowore of targeting the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, instead of seeking redress through legal means.

    “We condemn in totality the actions of Mr. Sowore and demand an end to his attacks on government institutions,” Oluwasegun said, reaffirming the coalition’s commitment to good governance and an egalitarian society.

  • Cybercrime: Sowore must face trial, U.S. group berates SERAP, AI

    Cybercrime: Sowore must face trial, U.S. group berates SERAP, AI

    A United States of America-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Justice For All Nations (JFAN), has said the call by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International (AI) Nigeria on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order the withdrawal of criminal charges on cybercrimes filed against self-appointed activist, Omoyele Sowore, as self-serving and hypocritical.

    JFAN insisted that Sowore must be tried, saying he should rather be prepared to produce the court judgment in which President Tinubu was convicted to defend his reckless statement.

    In a statement by its Coordinator, Dr. Dada Popoola, JFAN stated that it was strange that Amnesty International had turned itself into a defender of impunity, blackmail, and “activism for cash,” which Sowore is known for.

    JFAN, which described SERAP as “some people’s business enterprise” under the guise of a civil society organization (CSO), said it was not unexpected that such organisation was defending someone who called the Nigerian President a criminal.

    In the United States, where Sowore hides to perpetrate his business of “Cashtivist and Blackmail,” can any citizen who has not been convicted by a court of law be called a criminal? the group queried.

    READ ALSO: How to curb Corruption in Nigeria

    JFAN faulted Amnesty International and SERAP for keeping quiet when people were being killed in Rivers State in 2019, to allegedly rig an election for the candidate of Sowore’s party, African Action Congress (AAC).

    “In their desperate bid to rig the 2019 governorship election in Rivers State for Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s candidate that Sowore sold the AAC ticket to, one of those who were killed was Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, a lecturer at the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Bori, Rivers State. What did Amnesty International and SERAP do then?” JFAN said.

    It urged relevant anti-corruption and security agencies in Nigeria to beam their search lights on civil society organisations (CSOs) and rights activists, describing most of them as vehicles for money laundering and terrorism funding.

  • Sowore’s alleged assassination claim false – Olayinka

    Sowore’s alleged assassination claim false – Olayinka

    Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister,  Nyesom Wike, on Saturday, said the self-appointed Activist and Publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore, was only afraid of his “scamming shadow,”.

    Olayinka described his allegation that President Bola Tinubu and Wike wanted to assassinate him as “one of the mind games he plays to sustain his life of scams.”

    Olayinka, in a statement, said Sowore should rather face his criminal trial and be ready to provide the court judgement in which President Tinubu was convicted to defend his reckless statement.

    “Someone like Sowore,  who collected over $3 million in 2019 to sell the governorship ticket of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Rivers State and was suspended by the party for corruption, must have a lot of victims of his scams to contend with,” said Olayinka.

    He added, “In 2020, this same Sowore was accused by Oluwatosin Adeniji of pocketing an #EndSARS grant, which he (Sowore) applied for on her behalf without her knowledge.

    “Between 2016 and 2019, Sowore collected $1.3 million from MacArthur Foundation and has been collecting millions of Dollars from other foreign donors, for the purpose of training journalists in Nigeria,  which he never did.

    Read Also: Tinubu grants automatic employment to children of late FCT HoS

    “He is also known for using his online medium,  SaharaReporters to blackmail and extort money from people while keeping his staff in abject poverty.

    “Therefore,  if there is any threat to the life of Sowore,  it must be from those he had scammed or blackmailed. He should leave President Tinubu and the FCT Minister out of the impending repercussions of his life of scams.”

    Olayinka, who said Sowore was already getting closer to the end of his wit, added that: “All the noise he has been making about Wike in the last 48 hours is just the last kick of a dying horse. He knows the consequences and gravity of the charges against him. He is therefore playing his usual mind game so as to present himself as a victim in order to sustain his scams.

    “He is running riot about the purchase of properties in the United States. Did the Minister deny that his wife has properties in the US? Is it an offense for anyone to own properties in the US through inheritance or purchase?

    “And is that Sowore’s defense for publishing outright falsehood and calling the President a criminal?

    “Is that his defense for collecting $3 million to sell his party’s governorship ticket, and keeping silent when people were killed in Rivers State, in 2019, to force the candidate on whom he was paid on the people of Rivers State?

    “Is that his defense for doing Yahoo Yahoo by collecting millions of dollars from foreign donors under false pretense?

    “Like I have maintained, Sowore can only run and hide under Cashtivist for a while, he will get to the end of his scamming wit soon.”

  • Wike’s aide attacks Sowore, says you preach what you can’t practice

    Wike’s aide attacks Sowore, says you preach what you can’t practice

    Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday described the former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, as a hypocrite.

    Olayinka said Sowore preaches what he can’t practice, faulting him for calling President Bola Tinubu a criminal.

    He was reacting to the website of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which identified Sowore as AAC’s National Chairman.

    Posting on his social media, Olayinka wrote: “People shouting democracy up and down. He is the party chairman. He is the presidential candidate. He is everything – dictator in militocracy.

    “Now imagine President Tinubu also as the Chairman of APC. Imagine what our professional human rice and beans activist will be saying.

    “Like I have maintained, they preach what they can’t practice. They do to people what they can’t let anyone do to them. They are hypocrites.

    READ ALSO: How Nigerians have transformed BBNaija reality TV show

    “AAC was founded in 2018. The 2019 presidential candidate was Sowore. The 2023 presidential candidate was Sowore.

    “The same Sowore has been the Chairman of AAC since 2018. He trusts no one apart from himself. No one is right apart from Sowore.

    “Reason he is the party chairman, treasurer, financial secretary and presidential candidate.

    “Same human rice and beans activist making noise about democracy.

    “With his 14,603 votes, he wants to be President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker and Chief Justice of Nigeria.”

  • Wike’s aide Olayinka blasts Sowore

    Wike’s aide Olayinka blasts Sowore

    …you preach what you can’t practice

    Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, of hypocrisy.

    Olayinka faulted Sowore for labelling President Bola Tinubu a criminal, alleging that he preaches what he cannot practice.

    Reacting to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) website, which identifies Sowore as AAC’s National Chairman, Olayinka took to social media, writing: “People shouting Democracy up and down. He is the Party Chairman.”

     “He is the Presidential Candidate. He is everything – Dictator in Militocracy.

    “Now imagine President Tinubu also as the Chairman of APC. Imagine what our Professional Human Rice and Beans Activist will be saying.

    Read Also: Wike knocks Sowore for calling President ‘criminal’

    “Like I have maintained, they preach what they can’t practice. They do to people what they can’t let anyone do to them. They are hypocrites.

    “AAC was founded in 2018. The 2019 Presidential Candidate was Sowore 2023 Presidential Candidate was Sowore.

    “The same Sowore has been the Chairman of AAC since 2018. He trusts no one apart from himself. No one is right apart from Sowore.

    “Reason he is the Party Chairman, Treasurer, Financial Secretary, and Presidential Candidate.

    “Same Human Rice and Beans activists making noise about Democracy.

    “With his 14,603 votes, he wants to be President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker, and Chief Justice of Nigeria.”

  • Wike knocks Sowore for calling President ‘criminal’

    Wike knocks Sowore for calling President ‘criminal’

    …says I have directed that doctor’s arrears be paid

    Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, expressed disappointment over comments made by activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” in a post he shared on social media platforms.

    Recall the federal government, on Tuesday, filed a five-count charge against Sowore for calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal”.

    Wike said Sowore should be happy that President Tinubu is a president who follows the rule of law, with a call that nobody should be encouraged to do that.

    He said this at the official flag off of the construction of Arterial Road N1 from Wuye district to Ring Road 11.

    The minister said, “This is a country where somebody on social media will say Mr President is a criminal; nothing will happen. You say all kinds of things you want to say, but nothing will happen. No matter how you see people criticize Trump, have you ever seen any American citizen on social media, or in public, say our President is a criminal? Have you heard that?

    “But here, anybody can wake up in the morning and abuse the President, and we are happy. You are lucky you have a President who believes in the rule of law. You are lucky. Continue to be lucky. There are those you will meet that you won’t be lucky again”.

    On the ongoing strike by the resident doctors in FCT, Wike said he has directed that their allowance be paid after due process.

    Wike said he will continue to do the right things in the FCT, adding that no one can blackmail him.

    He said, “The SSS called me that people said they will demonstrate, that we are paying attention to roads, we are not paying attention to health. I called the director, listened, and a demonstration is allowed everywhere. Nobody will blackmail me; nobody will stop me from doing what I think is right. And do it at the right time.

    “I have never seen a country where we thrive on blackmail. This road is not my road, it’s not Wike’s road, it’s not Tinubu’s Road. It is a road that will open up economic activities and improve the welfare of the people here. So there’s nothing too special that we are doing because it’s only we that will use the road, no.

    “The people who now say, look, they are being owed allowances, fine. We lost our Head of Service; we just appointed an acting Head of Service. And I said, Okay, go and check, how much are they talking about? They said Oh, they’ve not employed doctors.

    “I said to the chairman of the Civil Service Commission, they said they’ve gotten a waiver, fine. What’s my own? Go and employ them. I am not a doctor; I’ve never thought of being a doctor. Go ahead and employ them. They say Oh, we’re not talking about improving health facilities.

    “In the 2025 budget, for the Capital budget for health alone, we put N25bn. Ask them, when did you get our budget? We got our budget for July. We got our budget for July from the National Assembly. So, each time you see people, they won’t ask questions. If you want to enter political party A, you’re free to enter political party A and face me when the time comes. Don’t use Civil Service to play politics, no.

    Read Also: Wike hails Tinubu for lifting Rivers emergency rule

    “If the Permanent Secretary Treasury brings the bill now, that is what the allowances are, what’s my own? Why would I hold it? They will pay. But know that everything has a procedure.

    “But to tell me you will demonstrate, you will block. I told the Director of DSS, allow them to demonstrate, but nobody can stop me from holding this occasion today, not one.”

    Wike began flagging off new road projects in the FCT after days of viral rumours of his ill-health.

    Taking a taunt at people considered as detractors of the FCT Minister, his media aide, Lere Olayinka, wrote on social media, “We have not seen Online Medical Doctor Omoyele Sowore of Sahara Desert Medical Centre.”

    Olayinka also posted a video of Wike’s arrival at the event on Thursday afternoon.

    Recall that a statement signed by Olayinka earlier on Monday announced the schedule for the project commission, which will span 16 days.

  • Sowore: What manner of criticism?

    Sowore: What manner of criticism?

    SIR: Criticism – the disapproval of someone or something on the basis of perceived mistakes is no doubt, one of the factors that enhance quality of governance. It enriches democracy. And a true leader, notably democrat, rarely underestimates the influence of criticism in nation building.

    Apart from keeping people at the helm of affairs on their toes, criticism also propels government to go the extra mile to deliver dividends of democracy to citizenry by all means. It’s unfortunate that most detractors of government policies nowadays only talk about obstacles; they usually fail to proffer solutions. There is no gainsaying the fact that it’s easier for many critics in Nigeria to spot and unearth defects in the policies of government; offering better solutions is what they always find difficult to do.

    The recent outburst of Omoyele Sowore against the president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a perfect example of how low some self-acclaimed critics could go in their lack of understanding of constructive criticism. Many Nigerians want to know exactly the motive behind Sowore’s misleading comments and unguarded utterances against the president and the Nigeria Police Force.

    The last time I checked, Sowore still nursed the ambition of ruling Nigeria. And this led me to wonder the kind of president he would be, considering the manner by which he usually addresses constituted authority in public. Who is going to trust someone who finds it difficult to guard his utterances? Calling a democratically elected president a criminal is not only a crime, it’s also an insult to the masses who massively gave the president their votes.

    Read Also: Group slams Sowore over attacks on IGP

    Undoubtedly, Sowore has the constitutional right to contest for any political post in Nigeria, but this must come through the ballot, not by name-calling or any other negative, undemocratic means. Who will enlighten Sowore that Nigeria has gone beyond casting bitter speeches to gain followers? What Nigerians desire and demand in this age are relevant discourses, not indecent comments against individuals on social media and pages of newspapers?

    I believe it’s not inappropriate to advise the former presidential candidate of African Action Congress that it’s more beneficial to start demonstrating what he has in stock for people if at all he is serious about his ambition. He can do better by presenting his case decently rather than dispensing his energy on attacking personalities. Insofar as political maturity is one of the qualities the electorate looks for in candidates running in elections, I urge Sowore to take things easy and gentle before it’s too late. Without a doubt, Sowore needs enlightenment, or else he loses his relevance via his ceaseless, indecorous attacks on personalities.

    • Ademola Babalola, babalolaademola39@gmail.com