- Sowore was recently brought back before the court and entered a not-guilty plea to an amended two-count charge
- To support its case, the prosecution identified two television interviews granted by Omokri, which were broadcast on News Central Television
- He explained that the television interviews and online news reports were downloaded from YouTube
Fresh filings at the Federal High Court in Abuja show that the Federal Government plans to tender televised interviews and newspaper reports involving former presidential aide and ambassadorial nominee, Bemigho Reno Omokri, as evidence in the criminal trial of rights activist and publisher, Omoyelé Sowore.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the documents were submitted through a Notice of Additional List of Documents in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, with the Federal Republic of Nigeria listed as the complainant.
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Sowore was recently brought back before the court and entered a not-guilty plea to an amended two-count charge bordering on alleged cyberstalking of President Bola Tinubu.
Prosecutors said the allegation arose from posts attributed to Sowore on X, formerly Twitter, and Facebook, where he allegedly referred to the president as a “criminal.”
To support its case, the prosecution identified two television interviews granted by Omokri, which were broadcast on News Central Television and Channels Television’s Politics Today, alongside media reports published by Vanguard and The Punch in December 2025 and January 2026.
Also listed as exhibits were a USB flash drive containing electronic versions of the materials and a Certificate of Compliance issued under Section 84 of the Evidence Act, 2011, a legal requirement for the admission of electronically generated evidence.
In a certificate he personally endorsed, Omokri, who described himself as a lawyer, investor and author, attested to the source, authenticity and accuracy of the electronic records the prosecution intends to rely on during the proceedings.
He explained that the television interviews and online news reports were downloaded from YouTube and various news websites using a Hewlett Packard computer, Model M44DL9H, and printed with a Sharp AR-5731 printer.
He further stated that the broadcast interviews were also transferred onto a USB drive, which has been included among the documentary exhibits.
Omokri affirmed that both devices were functioning properly at the time and that the documents were produced in the normal course of computer operations. He added that the printed copies were compared with the original electronic files and found to be identical.
The certificate, dated January 29, 2026, was issued to meet the conditions set out in Section 84 of the Evidence Act governing electronic evidence.
Meanwhile, an Affidavit of Service sworn by Kemi Esene, Practice Manager at Kehinde & Partners LP, counsel to the Federal Government, confirmed that Sowore was personally served with the additional documents on February 3, 2026.
According to the affidavit, the defendant received the Summary of Witness Statement of Bemigho Reno Omokri, the Certificate of Compliance, the Notice of Additional List of Documents, and a Notice of Additional List of Witnesses, with evidence of service attached.
The latest court filing highlights the prosecution’s intention to anchor its case on media interviews, online publications, and digitally stored records, effectively placing statements made in the public domain under judicial examination in the ongoing cyberstalking trial against Sowore.
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