Justice Musa S. Liman of the Federal High Court in Abuja was conspicuously absent on Monday for a scheduled hearing concerning the release of activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore’s passport. The matter is part of an ongoing cybercrime case filed against him by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Sowore, who arrived at the court alongside his legal team by 8:45 a.m., found that his case had been listed second on the day’s cause list. Despite his early appearance, the judge was nowhere to be found.
Eventually, court officials informed the legal teams present that Justice Liman had travelled to Bauchi on assignment, where he was handling a case under a special directive (fiat). However, this information came without any formal notification to either Sowore’s lawyers or the police prosecutors beforehand.
A legal source, while speaking to Chronicles Reporters, alleged that the judge’s failure to show up was a calculated attempt to avoid hearing Sowore’s motion. This is not the first time such a scenario has occurred.
In fact, this incident marks the third time that Justice Liman has failed to preside over Sowore’s application for the release of his passport. Previously, the judge was said to have missed a sitting due to his participation in a judicial conference held in Lagos.
The entire legal saga stems from cybercrime allegations brought by the Nigeria Police Force. Sowore had, via social media, referred to the current Inspector-General of Police, Egbetokun, as an “illegal IGP,” a statement which prompted legal action.
As at the time of filing this report, a new date for the hearing had yet to be scheduled. There are also concerns that Justice Liman might not return to hear the matter before the judiciary proceeds on its annual vacation.
The vacation for Federal High Court judges is slated to begin on Monday, July 28, and will last until Tuesday, September 16. Regular court activities are expected to resume on Wednesday, September 17.
Not the First Time
It will be recalled that on June 25, Chronicles Reporters published a report indicating that Justice Liman had already missed two earlier sessions tied to Sowore’s fresh application for the release of his passport, which remains in the court’s custody.
At the time, insiders from the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) revealed that efforts to retrieve the case file from the police had been repeatedly frustrated. According to them, the file was not handed over to the AGF, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), despite several formal demands.
The most recent hearing—set for Tuesday, June 24, 2025—also failed to proceed because the judge did not show up for the second time in a row.
Similarly, on April 25, Chronicles Reporters had earlier reported that Justice Liman’s absence again disrupted the proceedings regarding Sowore’s effort to recover his travel document.
Case Background
Sowore was granted bail on January 30, 2025. As part of the bail conditions, which included a N10 million bond, he was required to deposit his passport with the court.
In the same month, Sowore was invited by the police after he shared a video on social media accusing officers at a checkpoint near Lagos airport of extortion.
Though he honoured the invitation at the Force Intelligence Department headquarters in Abuja, Sowore was detained after declining to comply with certain bail conditions. These included surrendering his passport and presenting a senior civil servant as surety.
Not long after his detention, the police levelled cybercrime charges against him. The charges were based on comments he made online, including calling Egbetokun an “illegal IGP.”
The police allege that Sowore deliberately spread false information aimed at inciting public disorder and undermining the integrity of the Nigeria Police Force.
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