*Vows legal team will reapply

A Federal High Court in Abuja has denied Omoyele Sowore’s request for the temporary release of his passport, blocking his travel to the United States to visit his wife and children. The ruling was made by Justice Musa Suleiman Liman, who is also overseeing the cybercrime charges filed against the human rights activist by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Earlier, in January 2025, the court had granted Sowore bail with conditions, including a N10 million bond and the requirement to deposit his passport with the court. The judge had previously allowed Sowore to apply for permission to travel, provided he specified the number of days he needed the passport.

However, the recent application filed by Sowore’s legal team for the temporary release of his passport for a trip to the U.S. sparked controversy in court. During the hearing on March 3, 2025, Justice Liman questioned the documents presented by Sowore, including why he had not listed his wife and children’s names in the application. Sowore expressed frustration with the judge’s line of questioning, accusing him of aligning with the weak arguments presented by the prosecution.

Despite some initial indications that the judge might grant the request, Justice Liman ultimately denied Sowore’s application, citing doubts over the documentation and the justification for the trip.

After the ruling, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju expressed his disappointment but vowed to continue the legal battle. He emphasized that the right to travel and hold a passport is a fundamental constitutional right, and the ruling was a blow to justice. Adeyanju criticized the charges against Sowore as “frivolous” and called the IGP’s actions an abuse of prosecutorial power.

He also stated that the continued denial of Sowore’s passport was politically motivated, describing it as an attempt to suppress free speech. Adeyanju vowed that Sowore’s legal team would not back down and would continue to seek justice, despite the court’s decision.

“The denial of this application does not mean we will stop trying. We will return tomorrow and try again,” Adeyanju declared.

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