A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out the alleged cyberbullying case filed against the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC, Omoyele Sowore, by Senator Ned Nwoko.
Justice Emeka Nwite struck out the case on Tuesday after the prosecution failed to appear in court.
Sowore’s lawyer, Michael E. Effiwatt, told the court that the prosecution had again failed to appear despite having been absent at the previous adjourned date.
The defence lawyer said the case had been pending since 2022 and argued that it would be unfair to continue requiring Sowore, who had consistently attended proceedings, to appear in court when the prosecution was not diligent in prosecuting the case.
He consequently applied for the matter to be dismissed or struck out.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite agreed with the defence and struck out the case.
“This is the second time the matter has come up, and the prosecution is not in court, and the defendants’ counsel has applied for dismissal. I agree with the defendants’ counsel and consequently the case is hereby struck out, and the defendant is consequently discharged,” the judge ruled.
Reacting to the development, Sowore described the case as the “Mosquito Trial” and said the court had brought the four-year legal battle to an end.
In a post on his Facebook page on Tuesday, he wrote: “Ned Nwoko’s ‘Mosquito Trial’ Ends in Defeat, We Won.”
Sowore said the case, which was instituted by the Nigeria Police on behalf of Nwoko, had ended after four years of legal proceedings.
“Justice Emeka Nwite struck out the case,” he said.
According to Sowore, the case began in 2022 when he was arrested by the police following a cybercrime complaint by Nwoko.
He said he had been accused of cyberbullying Nwoko after SaharaReporters published a report about Nwoko’s foundation and its campaign to eradicate mosquitoes in Africa.
Sowore said the allegations also accused him of suggesting that donors were being scammed through the mosquito-eradication project.
He said his question about how Nwoko intended to eradicate mosquitoes across Africa when they allegedly could not be eradicated around his residence in Abuja eventually led to the criminal case.
“For four long years, I stood my ground. Today, the case has ended, and we won,” Sowore wrote.
He accused the authorities of attempting to turn journalism, criticism and legitimate questions into a criminal case, saying the effort had failed.
Olamilekan Adigun is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience in journalism embedded in uncovering human interest stories. He also prioritises accuracy and factual reportage of issues.
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