Senate orders crackdown on bandits flaunting crime cash on TikTok

Abuja, FCT – By Prime Brief Media

The Department of State Services has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to reject the no-case submission filed by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore in a cyberbullying case instituted against him. The court has reserved its ruling on the application to a date yet to be communicated.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, DSS counsel, Abdulrahman Moshood, argued that the prosecution had established sufficient evidence linking Sowore to the alleged offence and that the activist must enter a defence. He contended that the messages, social media posts, and digital records presented before the court met the threshold of a prima facie case.

Sowore, the convener of the RevolutionNow movement, was charged in October 2025 under the Cybercrimes Act, following a petition alleging that his online posts constituted cyberbullying and incitement against a top government official. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Counsel to Sowore, Marshal Abubakar, had earlier filed a no-case submission, arguing that the prosecution's case was “tenuous, politically motivated, and lacking in any of the essential ingredients of the offence charged.” He urged the court to discharge the activist, insisting that the charges were an attempt to criminalise constitutionally protected free speech.

The case has attracted significant attention from civil society organisations, who view it as a test of the boundaries between legitimate activism and the enforcement of Nigeria's cyber laws. Amnesty International has described the prosecution as “politically charged” and called for its immediate withdrawal.

The presiding judge, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, after hearing arguments from both sides, reserved ruling and said a date would be communicated to the parties. Sowore, who was present in court, told journalists outside the courtroom that he remains “undaunted” and will continue to exercise his rights.

Prime Brief Media is monitoring digital security channels and will report on any additional breaches or advisories.

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