A Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted as evidence a video in which former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, described President Bola Tinubu as a “drug lord” in the ongoing cyberstalking trial of human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
Justice Mohammed Umar admitted the video on Tuesday after rejecting objections by the Department of State Services (DSS), ruling that the defence complied with Section 84 of the Evidence Act governing electronically generated evidence.
The video was tendered during the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness, DSS operative Cyril Nosike, by Sowore’s counsel, Marshal Abubakar. Sowore is facing a two-count charge under the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, 2024, over social media posts allegedly referring to President Tinubu as a “criminal.”
During proceedings, the DSS witness admitted that the agency did not obtain any personal statement from President Tinubu, nor confirm whether the President was aware of Sowore’s posts or felt personally affected by them.
The defence also tendered a flash drive containing multiple video clips of Omokri, including a 2023 ARISE News interview in which he claimed to possess documents allegedly linking Tinubu to drug trafficking.
Despite prosecution objections, the court admitted the videos and accompanying certificate of compliance.
Nosike told the court he could not explain why Omokri was cleared for an ambassadorial nomination despite making such allegations publicly. He also said he was unaware of any public pledge by President Tinubu to protect critics’ rights.
Justice Umar adjourned the matter to February 4, 2026, for continuation of cross-examination.
Sowore was re-arraigned in December 2025 after the DSS amended the charge, dropping X (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. as co-defendants, leaving Sowore as the sole defendant in the case.
