A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the arrest of activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, after he failed to appear in court for the continuation of his defence in an ongoing cybercrime case.
The order was issued by Justice Mohammed Umar following Sowore's absence from proceedings despite an earlier directive requiring him to open his defence after the court dismissed his no-case submission.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over social media posts in which he allegedly described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a "criminal." The prosecution contends that the statements were false and constituted offences under the Cybercrimes Act.
At a previous sitting, the court had warned that failure to appear for trial could result in the revocation of Sowore's bail and the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.
When the matter came up for hearing, Sowore was absent from court, prompting the prosecution to urge the court to enforce its earlier warning. Justice Umar subsequently ordered his arrest and directed security agencies to ensure his appearance before the court at the next adjourned date.
The case is one of several legal battles involving the activist, who has consistently maintained that his comments were made in the exercise of his constitutional right to freedom of expression.
Further proceedings have been adjourned pending Sowore's appearance before the court.
