In his client’s defence, Sowore’s lawyer asked why a Reno Omokri who once called Tinubu a criminal, certificate forger and drug-lord was now appointed ambassador-designate by the same President and cleared by the same DSS.
Drama played out at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday as the trial of activist Omoyele Sowore took an unexpected turn for the Department of State Services (DSS) over its handling of criticism against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In his client’s defence, Sowore’s lawyer asked why a Reno Omokri who once called Tinubu a criminal, certificate forger and drug-lord was now appointed ambassador-designate by the same President and cleared by the same DSS.
The tension rose during cross-examination when Sowore’s lawyer, Marshal Abubakar, presented video footage showing former presidential aide Reno Omokri making sweeping allegations against Tinubu on national television—remarks that appeared to attract no legal action.
The clips, tendered via a flash drive, were played in open court while Cyril Nosike, a DSS operative and the prosecution’s first witness, looked on. One video showed Omokri during a 2023 ARISE News interview claiming he possessed court documents from the United States allegedly linking the President to drug-related offences.
“Bola Tinubu is a known drug lord. I have documents to prove it,” Omokri stated in the broadcast.
Another clip captured Omokri insisting he would never align politically with Tinubu.
Abubakar seized the moment to question why the DSS later cleared Omokri for an ambassadorial appointment despite those statements, while Sowore is facing prosecution for calling the President a “criminal” online. The DSS witness admitted he could not explain the agency’s decision.
Efforts by the prosecution, led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), to block the videos from being admitted as evidence failed, as Justice Mohammed Umar ruled in favour of their admissibility.
Sowore is being tried on a two-count amended charge under the Cybercrimes Act, stemming from a social media post dated August 25, 2025, made after Tinubu publicly declared during a trip to Brazil that corruption had been eliminated under his administration.
Following the post, the DSS wrote to X (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc., demanding the deletion of the content and the suspension of Sowore’s accounts. The agency also directly instructed Sowore to remove the post.
When those demands were ignored, the DSS initiated prosecution, alleging that the publication was capable of undermining public order and damaging the President’s reputation.
Further questioning revealed additional gaps in the case, as the DSS witness confirmed that the agency neither obtained a statement from Tinubu nor verified whether the President was aware of the post allegedly made against him.
The court adjourned proceedings to February 4, as the case continues to stir debate over free speech, accountability, and the reach of state power in Nigeria.
