Proceedings in the cyberstalking trial of activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, took a significant turn on Tuesday as a Federal High Court in Abuja admitted a video in which former presidential aide Reno Omokri described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “drug lord.”
Justice Mohammed Umar admitted the video after overruling objections from the Department of State Services (DSS), ruling that the defence met the conditions for tendering electronically generated evidence under Section 84 of the Evidence Act. The clip was introduced during the cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, a DSS operative, Cyril Nosike.
Sowore is facing a two-count charge under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, over social media posts allegedly describing President Tinubu as a “criminal.”
The Federal Government maintains that the posts were false and capable of inciting public disorder. Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During cross-examination, Sowore’s counsel, Marshal Abubakar, questioned the DSS witness on investigative gaps surrounding the alleged offence. Nosike admitted that the agency did not obtain any statement from President Tinubu, nor could he confirm whether the President was aware of the posts forming the basis of the charge.
He also acknowledged that he was not present when a separate video of the President, referenced during investigations, was recorded abroad.
The defence further tendered certified court orders directing the DSS to return mobile phones earlier seized from Sowore. While the prosecution objected to their admission, it reserved arguments for its final address, and the court admitted the documents as exhibits.
In addition, the court admitted a flash drive containing multiple video clips of Reno Omokri, accompanied by a certificate of compliance. One of the videos, played in open court, showed Omokri during a 2023 television interview claiming to possess documents allegedly linking President Tinubu to drug trafficking activities.
When asked by the defence why Omokri faced no legal consequences for making such claims and was later cleared for an ambassadorial appointment, the DSS witness said he could not account for the decision.
The prosecution maintained that the case against Sowore was not instituted at the behest of the President but was based on the potential implications of the social media posts. “I am not serving on the prompt of the President,” the witness told the court.
Justice Umar adjourned the matter until February 4, 2026, for the continuation of cross-examination. Sowore was re-arraigned in December 2025 following the filing of amended charges, which removed X (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. as co-defendants.
Sowore Trial Shifts: Court Accepts Omokri Video on Tinubu
