Omoyele Sowore, the former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, has been granted N10 million in bail by Justice Musa Suleiman Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja, along with one surety of the same sum.
The applicant must surrender his passport with the court and produce an affidavit of means, the court further decided, and the surety must have confirmed landed property in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Sowore, who has been in court, was first expected to fulfill the terms of his bail within a certain amount of time. The court did, however, give him an additional 24 hours to complete the requirements.
To give the applicant more time to complete his bail requirements, his attorney, Abubakar Marshal, has requested for an extension.
The court postponed its decision about his bail application until Wednesday, January 30, 2025.
Supporters gathered outside the courts on Thursday to greet Sowore and his legal team, calling for his release and denouncing the accusations against him as politically driven.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has filed 16 cybercrime charges against the former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate after he referred to the police head as a “illegal IG.”
After voluntarily accepting a police invitation, Sowore was taken into custody on Monday at the Nigerian Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) office in Abuja. He was detained after refusing to comply with the police-imposed conditions of bail.
Abubakar Marshal, the defense attorney, urged the court on Wednesday to grant Sowore release on the most lenient terms and on self-recognizance.
He provided proof that his client had accepted the invitation in good faith after receiving it via a WhatsApp message from the complainant.
The complainant acknowledged Sowore’s right to bail, the Marshal added. The prosecution, under the leadership of M.U. Jonathan, objected to the bail request and asked that it be rejected.
The judge postponed the case until 1 pm on Thursday to rule on the bail request after hearing arguments from both sides.