The Department of State Services (DSS), on Thursday, played the video evidence of President Bola Tinubu’s speech made on Aug. 26, 2025, during his state visit to Brazil, in establishing its cyberstalking charge against Omoyele Sowore.
The video recording was played while DSS lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, led Cyril Nosike, the 1st prosecution witness (PW-1) and an operative of the service, in evidence before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The prosecution also tendered Sowore’s message which he posted through his X handle and Meta, formerly known as Facebook, where he referred to the president as “criminal” and the reactions that followed, including a certificate of compliance.
Justice Umar admitted them in evidence and marked them as exhibits after counsel for the defendant, Marshal Abubakar, reserved his objection until final written addresses stage.
After the evidence-in-chief of the PW-1, Abubakar sought an adjournment to enable them study the witness’ statement and other documents front-loaded to them.
The judge adjourned the matter until Jan. 27 for cross-examination of the PW-1 and continuation hearing.
In the amended charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025 and filed on Dec. 5, Sowore is named as sole defendant.
Although Sowore, X Incorp (formerly Twitter) and Meta (Facebook) Incorp were named in the earlier charge as 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively, in the amended charge, the names of 2nd and 3rd defendants were dropped.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.