By DAYO ADESULU
ABUJA, Nigeria – Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that he plans to call about 20 witnesses, including the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, in his ongoing trial over alleged cyberbullying.
The disclosure was made during Wednesday’s proceedings before Justice Mohammed Umar through Sowore’s lead counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN).
Defence Seeks Testimony of Top Officials
According to the defence, subpoenas will be issued to several key officials, including the DSS Director-General and the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Olumide-Fusika argued that the testimony of the officials would help clarify issues raised during the cross-examination of the second defence witness, Uwem Davies, a Principal Officer in the DSS General Office.
The senior advocate said Davies repeatedly denied knowledge of documents attached to his witness statement, making effective cross-examination difficult.
DSS Witness Distances Himself from Key Documents
During his testimony, Davies acknowledged writing only one letter dated September 7, 2025, which requested Sowore to remove a social media post the DSS considered offensive to President Bola Tinubu.
However, he denied writing or signing separate letters allegedly sent to Meta Platforms (Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter) requesting the removal of Sowore’s posts.
The defence also announced plans to summon another DSS officer, B. Bamigboye, who was allegedly responsible for signing one of the disputed letters.
Davies told the court that Bamigboye had retired from the DSS and that he did not know his current location.
Witness Admits Acting on DSS DG’s Directive
Under cross-examination, Davies admitted that the exhibits containing the social media posts did not correspond with the letter he personally authored.
He also confirmed that he acted on the directive of the DSS Director-General and that the only correspondence he personally prepared was the letter inviting Sowore to respond to the allegations.
Davies further stated that he neither authored the letter sent to Meta nor the one sent to X, explaining that another retired DSS officer handled the latter.
The witness also acknowledged that he had not seen the documents forming the basis of the prosecution before writing to Sowore.
Although the letter claimed that Sowore’s post had angered supporters of President Tinubu, Davies told the court he did not know any of the President’s supporters personally and was not one himself.
Court Rejects Defence Documents
Another defence witness, Prince Wayne Chikezie Elijah, testified that he accepted court documents on Sowore’s behalf while serving on his legal team.
The defence sought to tender the documents as evidence, but the prosecution objected, arguing they were not Certified True Copies (CTCs).
Justice Umar upheld the objection and declined to admit the documents.
Court to Consider Passport Release Request
Sowore’s lawyer also reminded the court of a pending application seeking the temporary release of his international passport to enable him present it at the United States Embassy.
Justice Umar directed the prosecution to respond to the application and indicated he was willing to approve the release once the required legal processes were completed.
The case was adjourned until July 28, 2026, for the continuation of the defence.
Why This Matters
The Sowore cyberbullying trial continues to draw national attention because it raises significant legal questions about freedom of expression, the use of cybercrime laws, and the role of security agencies in matters involving social media publications. The planned appearance of senior government officials as witnesses could become a major development in the proceedings.
