The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday admitted activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, to fresh bail in the sum of N200 million, weeks after withdrawing an earlier bail granted to him over his absence from court proceedings.
Delivering the ruling, Justice Mohammed Umar directed the defendant to provide two sureties, each standing in the sum of N200 million, before the bail could be perfected.
The judge ruled that one of the sureties must be a recognised traditional ruler from Sowore's hometown, while the other must possess a landed property within the Federal Capital Territory.
The court also ordered the activist to deposit all his travel documents with its Deputy Registrar pending the conclusion of his trial.
Justice Umar observed that despite the earlier revocation of his bail, Sowore demonstrated his readiness to submit himself to the judicial process by appearing before the court voluntarily rather than waiting to be apprehended.
On the strength of that conduct, the judge said the court considered it appropriate to exercise its discretion in favour of granting a fresh bail application.
During the hearing, defence counsel informed the court that Sowore's passport was in the custody of the United States Embassy in Lagos, explaining that the defendant would have to appear personally to retrieve the document before complying with the court's directive.
The defence subsequently sought an order releasing Sowore to enable him to meet the bail conditions, a request granted by the court, with the judge maintaining that the defendant must satisfy all stipulated conditions before enjoying the bail.
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