A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday admitted as evidence a video clip in which former presidential aide and ambassadorial nominee , Reno Omokri described President Bola Tinubu as a “drug lord,” in the ongoing trial of human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, over alleged cyberstalking.
In a pivotal session at the Federal High Court, Justice Mohammed Umar admitted a flash drive containing several video clips into evidence, dismissing vigorous objections from the Department of State Services (DSS) legal team. The lead prosecutor, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, had argued that electronically generated evidence must be tendered by its creator under Section 84 of the Evidence Act. However, the court upheld the argument of defense counsel Marshal Abubakar, ruling that the statutory requirements for admissibility had been met.
The proceedings took a dramatic turn when the videos were played in open court, featuring a 2023 ARISE News interview with Reno Omokri. In the footage, Omokri explicitly described President Bola Tinubu as a “known drug lord,” claiming to possess certified court documents from Chicago to support his allegations. During the cross-examination of the first prosecution witness, DSS operative Cyril Nosike, the defense questioned why Omokri was reportedly cleared for an ambassadorial appointment despite such public claims, while Sowore faced trial for similar rhetoric. Nosike stated he could not explain the discrepancy.
The defense further challenged the foundation of the cyberstalking charges, which allege that Sowore’s social media posts describing the President as a “criminal” could cause a breakdown of law and order. Under questioning, Nosike admitted that he had not interviewed President Tinubu, nor had he obtained any personal statement from the President explaining how the posts affected him. The witness even conceded he had “no idea” if the President was aware of the specific posts in question, maintaining instead that the DSS was acting on the “implication” of the content rather than a direct prompt from the Presidency.
In addition to the video evidence, the court admitted documents regarding a previous judicial order for the DSS to return three mobile phones seized from Sowore. The witness also claimed ignorance of President Tinubu’s public pledges to protect the rights of critics, sticking to his testimony that the defendant’s posts generated public tension. Sowore, who pleaded not guilty following his re-arraignment on an amended two-count charge, watched as the court formally marked the various video clips and compliance certificates as exhibits. Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until February 4, 2026, for the continuation of the cross-examination.
