The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday postponed the arraignment of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, to 5 November.
The matter, which had been scheduled for Sowore and his co-defendants to enter their pleas, did not proceed because Justice Mohammed Umar was absent from court.
Justice Umar, who is the trial judge, was said to be sitting in another division of the court.
The court therefore fixed 5 November for the arraignment of Sowore and X Incorp. (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook), listed as the 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the judge on 30 September had set today’s date to provide Sowore sufficient time for his defence.
NAN also reported that Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019 and 2023, is facing a five-count charge.
The charge, numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 and dated 16 September, was filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) on behalf of the Federal Government.
Sowore is accused of making a false claim against the person of Bola Ahmed Tinubu by calling him “a criminal” on his Twitter and Facebook accounts.
The charge was filed a few days after the DSS requested the removal of the alleged defamatory message on Sowore’s Facebook and X handles.
In the first count of the charge, it is alleged that on or about 25 August, Sowore used his official X handle, @YeleSowore, to post:
“THIS CRIMINAL @OFFICIAL PBAT ACTUALLY WENT TO BRAZIL TO STATE THAT THERE IS NO MORE CORRUPTION UNDER HIS REGIME IN NIGERIA. WHAT AUDACITY TO LIE SHAMELESSLY!”
The message, which he is said to have known to be false, was posted “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).”
The alleged offence is contrary to Section 24 (1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prevention, etc.) Amendment Act, 2024, among other counts.
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