Drama in Court: Sowore Plays Video of Reno Omokri Calling Tinubu ‘Drug Baron’ as DSS Witness Falters
ABUJA — The ongoing cyberstalking trial of activist Omoyele Sowore took a dramatic twist on Tuesday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, as the defense turned the tables on the Department of State Services (DSS) by playing a viral video of Reno Omokri—a current Ambassador-designate—calling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu an “international drug baron.”
The tense moment occurred during the cross-examination of the DSS’s first prosecution witness, Cyril Nosike, exposing what the defense called “selective persecution” by the secret police.
Sowore is standing trial for allegedly using his social media handles to label President Tinubu a “criminal” following the President’s August 2025 visit to Brazil, a post the DSS claims violates the Cybercrimes Act.
The “Reno” Bombshell
Defense counsel Marshall Abubakar stunned the courtroom when he tendered two video clips as evidence.
- Exhibit A: A video of President Tinubu publicly stating that Nigerians have the constitutional right to “insult” or “abuse” him.
- Exhibit B: A video of Reno Omokri explicitly describing Tinubu as a drug baron.
While the DSS witness, Nosike, admitted that the agency is responsible for vetting nominees for sensitive positions like ambassadorships, he faltered when asked why Omokri was cleared for a federal appointment despite making statements “worse” than Sowore’s.
“I cannot explain why he was cleared,” Nosike told the court, admitting he was unaware if the Service had flagged Omokri’s comments.
DSS: “It is a Security Issue”
Earlier in the proceedings, the DSS operative insisted that the agency charged Sowore not merely for the insult, but due to the “security implications” of his post. The prosecution tendered the August 25, 2025 post where Sowore wrote: “This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption… What audacity!”
Justice Mohammed Umar admitted the post and the video of the President’s Brazil speech as evidence, overruling the defense’s earlier objections.
Meta and X Off the Hook
The proceedings followed the Federal Government’s decision last week to drop all charges against tech giants Meta (Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter). The prosecution amended the charges to leave Sowore as the sole defendant, a move legal analysts interpret as a strategy to isolate the activist and speed up the trial.
“I Will Not Be Silenced”
Speaking to reporters after the session, Sowore described the trial as a “waste of taxpayers’ money.” “They appointed a man who called the President a drug baron as an Ambassador, yet they are prosecuting me for calling the same man a criminal,” Sowore stated. “This is not about law; it is about silencing dissent.”
Justice Umar has adjourned the case to February 14, 2026, for the continuation of trial.