Sowore’s Trial: Court admits video evidence of Omokri calling Tinubu ‘drug lord’

2026-01-27 - 17:14

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri The trial of an activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, on a cybercrime charge continued on Tuesday, with the Federal High Court in Abuja admitting a video exhibit in evidence. The video, which was played in the open court, showed a former presidential aide and ambassadorial nominee, Mr Reno Omokri, referring to President Bola Tinubu as a “drug lord.” Sowore is facing trial for calling President Tinubu a “criminal” in a social media post. He is answering a two-count amended charge that was preferred against him by the federal government. The contentious post the defendant made on August 25, 2025, followed President Tinubu’s claim, while on an official visit to Brazil, that his administration had successfully ended corruption in Nigeria. Irked by Sowore’s reference to President Tinubu as a “criminal,” the Department of State Services (DSS) wrote to two social media platforms, X (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. (Facebook), demanding a ban on the defendant’s account as well as removal of the vexatious statement. The security agency also wrote a letter to the activist, asking him to delete