Alleged Cyber-Bullying: “Stop Politicizing The DSS”, Sowore, Lawyer Warn

Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, alongside his lead counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, have said the proposal by the Department of State Services (DSS) to suspend his ongoing trial ‘is a welcome development’.

The secret police recently instructed its private counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, to seek an adjournment of the alleged cyber-bullying case until after the upcoming presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

The DSS indicated that the decision to pause the trial was a matter of “fairness”, intended to allow Sowore to fully engage in his presidential campaign without the encumbrance of ongoing court proceedings.

However, Sowore’s legal team has strongly criticized the tactical pause, warning the DSS against deviating from its constitutional mandate and weaponizing the judiciary for political convenience.

Olumide-Fusika, SAN, argued that the DSS lack a prosecutorial mandate to pursue the case to a logical conclusion, advising that “it should hand the file over to the Ministry of Justice through the Attorney-General of the Federation or discontinue it entirely.”

The defence maintains that a tactical suspension harks back to political manipulation and undermines the respect historically accorded to the agency.

The legal battle stems from social media posts shared by Sowore on August 25, 2025, where he labelled President Bola Tinubu a “criminal”.

The DSS subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking a judicial interpretation on whether such language constitutes unlawful cyber-bullying and cyberstalking under the Cybercrimes Act 2024.

While the court previously struck out tech giants Meta and X Corp from the suit, Sowore remains the sole defendant and has since entered his defence.

Reacting to the developments, Sowore reiterated his staunch stance on free speech and democratic criticism.

The AAC candidate vowed that if elected president and Commander-in-Chief, he would never tolerate the use of security apparatuses to arrest or harass citizens for criticizing his administration.

He warned that any security officer who engaged in such overreach would face immediate dismissal.

The DSS is expected to formally present its application for an adjournment when the Federal High Court resumes normal sittings on Monday, September 14, 2026.

Witnesses previously took the stand to highlight past statements regarding the democratic right to criticize public officials.