A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a stern warning to the human rights activist and Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore that it may revoke the bail granted to him, if he fails to appear at the next hearing in his ongoing cybercrime trial.

The presiding Judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, issued the warning on Thursday, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.

Justice Mohammed noted that the court could also order Sowore’s arrest if he does not attend the subsequent proceedings.

The Judge’s remarks followed submissions by the prosecution counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), who informed the court that the defendant failed to appear despite being notified of the hearing through his legal representatives.

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New Telegraph recalls that Sowore is currently facing prosecution by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations of cybercrime.

The case stems from claims that he made defamatory statements about President Bola Tinubu in posts published on his social media platforms, including X and Facebook.

When the matter came up on Thursday, March 12, Sowore was absent from court. None of his lawyers, reportedly numbering about 30, were present either.

Reacting to the situation, Kehinde explained that the day’s proceedings were meant for the defence to complete its cross-examination of the first prosecution witness.

He told the court that records from the court registry confirmed that hearing notices had been properly served on the defendant through his legal team, just as the prosecution had also received notice of the sitting.

The prosecuting lawyer argued that there was no justification for the defendant’s absence, noting that individuals facing criminal charges are generally expected to attend court sessions unless excused for valid reasons.

Citing Section 352(1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, Kehinde urged the court to revoke the bail earlier granted to Sowore. He also requested that a bench warrant be issued for the defendant’s immediate arrest and production in court to continue the trial.

In his ruling, Justice Umar acknowledged that the defendant had indeed been served hearing notice through his lawyers.

However, the judge also observed that Sowore had consistently attended court sittings since the trial commenced late last year.

He further noted that earlier adjournments in the case had occurred at the request of both the prosecution and the defence.

Based on those considerations, the judge said the defendant should be given the benefit of the doubt since it was the first time he had failed to appear for his trial.

Justice Umar, however, cautioned that the court would take stricter measures if the situation repeats itself.

He warned that if Sowore fails to appear at the next hearing, the court would not hesitate to grant the prosecution’s request to revoke his bail and issue an arrest warrant.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case until March 16 for continuation of the trial and directed that another hearing notice be served on the defence.