The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has charged the publisher of SaharaReporters, Omoyele Sowore with false publication and forgery.
In a three-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/374/2025 filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, the IGP accused Sowore of among others, making false publication about the police on his media platforms and forging a police signal.
The counts read:
*That you Omoyele Sowore and Sahara Reporters on or about the 30th day of July, 2025 did conspire between yourselves to commit a felony to wit forgery and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1 (2) (C) of Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Law of the Federation of Nigeria.
*That you Omoyele Sowore and Sahara Reporters on or about the 30th day of July, 2025 forged a police wireless message purported to have been signed by the Principal Staff Officer to the inspector General of Police, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1 (2) (C) of Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 Law of the Federation of the Nigeria.
*That you Omoyele Sowore on or about the 31st day of July, 2025 did intentionally post a fake police signal and other inciting materials on your Facebook page with intention to incite members of the force and the general public to embarked on a mutiny against the Federal Government of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 114 of the Penal Code Law.
Sowore was to be arraigned on the charge on Wednesday, but got the inability of the prosecution to serve the charge on his media platform, Sahara Reporters, listed as the second defendant.
Prosecuting lawyer, Wisdom Madaki told the court that efforts to serve the second defendant through substituted means, by newspaper publication is still in progress.
Madaki applied for a fresh date for the arraignment of the defendants, a request Justice Emeka Nwite granted and adjourned till September 15 for arraignment.
