A new twist has emerged ahead of the scheduled appearance of Nigerian activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, before Justice M.G. Umar on Monday, following the issuance of a bench warrant over his absence from court last week.
SaharaReporters has learned from sources familiar with the matter that former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has taken more than a passing interest in the case, allegedly reaching out to the current Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, as well as judicial and security officials, urging them to ensure that Sowore is taken into custody if he appears in court.
According to the sources, Egbetokun was angered that Sowore had not been arrested despite the bench warrant issued by Justice Umar.
He reportedly contacted senior officers within the Nigeria Police Force and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, whom the sources described as playing a central role in the prosecution against Sowore.
The sources further alleged that the operation is being coordinated by President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, whom they claim has harboured a longstanding grievance against Sowore.
According to the sources, the alleged resentment stems from a report published years ago by SaharaReporters, which accused Gbajabiamila of stealing $25,000 from a client while practising law in Atlanta, resulting in disciplinary sanctions by the Georgia State Bar.
According to the sources, the convergence of these interests has led to a determination that massive force would be deployed at the Federal High Court on Monday.
They claimed there are fears Justice Umar may not sit, potentially creating an opportunity for security operatives to execute the bench warrant issued by the court and reportedly handed to DSS prosecutor Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN.
The sources also claimed that Egbetokun remains displeased over the collapse of a separate criminal case he initiated against Sowore before leaving office, as well as a recent contempt proceeding, he is reportedly backing at an FCT court, which they alleged is being financed by his former paramour, ACP Yemisi Bukola Kuti.
They further alleged that the case, previously before Justice M.S. Liman and which at one point led to the seizure of Sowore’s passport for more than a year, lost momentum following Egbetokun’s departure from office.
According to the sources, Egbetokun has advised President Tinubu that the only effective way to prevent Sowore from participating in the 2027 presidential election is to have him remanded in prison.
“The forces are being put together. Tell Sowore to be ready tomorrow,” a police source told SaharaReporters.
Last Tuesday, SaharaReporters reported that Justice Umar revoked Sowore’s bail and ordered the issuance of a bench warrant after the activist failed to appear in court for a scheduled proceeding on June 16, 2026.
Sowore is standing trial on cybercrime-related charges filed by the Department of State Services (DSS) over his public statement describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as “a criminal.”
The case had initially been adjourned to June 15, 2026, for a ruling on an application in which Sowore asked Justice Umar to recuse himself, alleging bias and insisting that he could not receive a fair hearing before the judge.
Although Sowore appeared in court on June 15, proceedings could not go ahead because the judge was absent. The court registrar subsequently informed the parties that the matter had been rescheduled for June 16.
Ahead of the adjourned date, Sowore, through a letter dated June 15, requested a further adjournment and asked the court to fix the ruling for any convenient date in July 2026 or September 2026.
At the resumed hearing on June 16, however, the prosecution urged the court to revoke Sowore’s bail and issue a warrant for his arrest. In his ruling, Justice Umar agreed with the prosecution, holding that the defendant’s failure to appear amounted to a clear disobedience of the court’s directive.
Sowore’s Clashes With Egbetokun
During Egbetokun’s tenure as Inspector-General of Police, Sowore was one of his fiercest critics, repeatedly challenging what he described as the former police chief’s controversial tenure extension, arbitrary promotions, and heavy-handed approach to policing.
The activist was arrested and detained on several occasions. One of the most notable incidents occurred in October 2025, when he was arrested at the Federal High Court in Abuja during a protest and detained for several days. His lawyers alleged that he was subjected to mistreatment while in custody.
In November 2025, the Lagos State Police Command declared Sowore wanted over protests in the Oworonshoki area of Lagos.
Egbetokun also instituted criminal cybercrime charges against Sowore for repeatedly referring to him on social media as an “illegal IGP.” The case resulted in the seizure of Sowore’s passport.
In early 2026, Egbetokun further secured an interim court injunction restraining Sowore and SaharaReporters from publishing what the court order described as “derogatory” content about him and his family. The action followed SaharaReporters’ revelations that N100 million, designated as a security vote, was paid into the account of Egbetokun’s son.
The legal landscape changed significantly after President Tinubu replaced Egbetokun with IGP Tunji Disu, bringing an end to Egbetokun’s controversial tenure.
Following his departure from office, several cases against Sowore began to unravel. A Federal High Court subsequently dismissed the police cyberbullying and defamation charges filed against the activist.
Sowore responded by filing a ₦1.2 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit against Egbetokun, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Attorney-General of the Federation over what he described as his unlawful arrests and detention.
He also instituted a separate ₦500 million suit challenging the decision of the Lagos State Police Command to declare him wanted.
In a judgment delivered on February 20, 2026, Justice Musa Kakaki ruled that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police lacked the legal authority to declare Sowore wanted without first obtaining a valid court warrant.
The judge condemned the action and reaffirmed that citizens could not be criminalised for exercising their constitutional rights to free expression and peaceful protest.
Although Sowore had sought ₦500 million in damages, the court awarded ₦30 million against the Nigeria Police Force, former IGP Egbetokun, and ex-Lagos State Commissioner of Police Moshood Jimoh for violating his fundamental rights.
(SaharaReporters)
