Fresh questions have emerged over key evidence in the ongoing cybercrime trial of human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore after a principal officer of the Department of State Services (DSS) told the Federal High Court in Abuja that a letter purportedly sent by the agency to Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, was neither written nor signed by him.
The witness, Uwem Davies, appeared before Justice Mohammed Umar as a subpoenaed witness. During cross-examination by Sowore’s lead counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), he denied authoring the disputed correspondence and insisted that the signature on the document was not his. The letter had allegedly been relied upon by the prosecution as part of its case concerning Sowore’s social media posts about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Davies further testified that he merely acted on directives from the DSS Director-General and could not answer several questions relating to the contents of correspondence sent to Sowore or the agency’s justification for seeking action against his social media accounts. Following the testimony, the defence successfully applied to subpoena the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, to personally testify on matters relating to the prosecution. The court granted the application and adjourned proceedings.
Sowore is facing charges over social media posts in which he referred to President Tinubu as “a criminal.” He has consistently denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that the prosecution is politically motivated and aimed at suppressing dissent and freedom of expression. The Federal Government, through the DSS, continues to pursue the case. The allegations and the defence’s claims remain matters for judicial determination.
The witness’s disavowal of a document tendered by the prosecution underscores the importance of rigorous scrutiny of evidence in criminal proceedings. Public confidence in the justice system depends on ensuring that prosecutions are conducted transparently, documentary evidence is properly authenticated, and the rights of all parties are protected through due process and judicial oversight.
