The Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday presented a video recording of President Bola Tinubu’s speech as part of its case against activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, who is facing cyberstalking charges.
The video, which captured Tinubu’s address during a state visit to Brazil on August 26, 2025, was played in open court at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The footage was introduced as evidence by the DSS to support allegations that Sowore made offensive online remarks about the President.
During the proceedings, DSS counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), led the agency’s first witness, Cyril Nosike, a DSS operative, in testimony before Justice Mohammed Umar. The prosecution argued that the recording formed part of a body of evidence linking Sowore’s social media activity to statements considered defamatory and injurious to the President’s reputation.
In addition to the video, the DSS tendered several posts allegedly made by Sowore on his social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. According to the prosecution, the posts contained remarks in which Sowore referred to President Tinubu as a “criminal.”
The agency also submitted screenshots of public reactions to the posts, alongside a certificate of compliance required for electronically generated evidence. Despite objections being reserved by Sowore’s counsel, Marshal Abubakar, Justice Umar admitted all the materials and marked them as exhibits.
After the prosecution concluded its examination-in-chief of the witness, the defence requested an adjournment to allow adequate time to review the witness’s statement and accompanying documents earlier served on them.
Granting the request, Justice Umar adjourned the case until January 27 for the cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness and continuation of the trial.
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Sowore remains the sole defendant in the amended charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, which was filed on December 5, 2025. In the original charge, social media companies X Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. were listed as co-defendants, but their names were removed in the revised filing.
