A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, what it described as a final opportunity to continue his defence in his ongoing cybercrime trial, warning that any further delay could lead to the foreclosure of his case.

Justice Mohammed Umar, who presided over the proceedings, adjourned the matter to July 22, 2026, to enable Sowore present his defence.

Sowore is facing charges bordering on alleged cyberbullying of President Bola Tinubu through social media posts in which he reportedly referred to the President as a “criminal.”

At the resumed hearing, Sowore informed the court that his lead counsel, Mr. Olumide Fusika (SAN), was currently in the United Kingdom, while another member of his legal team, Raphael Adakole, was also unavailable.

He argued that the assistance of his legal team was essential to adequately defend himself, given the seriousness of the charges before the court.

In his ruling, Justice Umar acknowledged that the court had earlier ordered that the trial should proceed on a day-to-day basis. However, he held that, in the interest of fair hearing, the defendant should be afforded the opportunity to present his defence with the assistance of counsel.

The judge, however, warned that the adjournment to July 22 would be the final one and that failure to proceed on the next date could result in the court foreclosing Sowore’s defence.

The ruling followed objections by the prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Akinlolu Kehinde, who opposed the request for another adjournment.

Kehinde argued that the application represented the eleventh adjournment sought by the defence, contending that it contravened the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), which seeks to discourage unnecessary delays in criminal proceedings.

He urged the court to conclude that the defence was no longer interested in prosecuting its case and to foreclose Sowore’s defence.

The prosecutor also reminded the court that the matter had been adjourned from July 13 specifically to accommodate subpoenaed witnesses, noting that the court had already issued the necessary subpoenas.

According to him, the defence had previously cited the absence of its lead counsel as a reason for seeking adjournments, despite the court’s insistence that such circumstances would not stall proceedings.

Sowore had earlier opened his defence by calling Abuja-based lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, as his witness.

During cross-examination, Adeyanju rejected claims that he is a social media influencer, despite maintaining a significant following on Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter.

Several video recordings were tendered as exhibits during his testimony, including clips in which President Tinubu was seen stating that he welcomed criticism and that Nigerians were free to insult him or call him names.

The matter was subsequently adjourned until July 22 for continuation of the defence.