Human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has pleaded not guilty to cybercrime charges filed against him by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
Sowore appeared before Justice Liman at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, where he was arraigned for allegedly referring to Egbetokun as an “illegal IGP” on his verified X handle.
During the proceedings, the court noted several grammatical and spelling errors in the charges before the trial commenced. Nevertheless, Sowore, after listening to the charges, maintained his innocence and pleaded “not guilty” to each count.
Meanwhile, outside the courtroom, a group of activists and civil society organizations staged a protest, demanding Sowore’s release and condemning the charges against him.
The protesters, carrying placards with inscriptions such as #FreeSoworeNow, #EndPoliceBrutality, and #SackTheIGPNow, insisted that the activist was being persecuted for exposing corruption within the police force.
Among those present in court to show solidarity were the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, and former senator Shehu Sani.