Former presidential aide Reno Omokri has stated that activist Omoyele Sowore cannot rely on his earlier withdrawn statements accusing President Bola Tinubu of being a "drug lord" to defend himself in his ongoing cybercrime trial.
The remarks came during Sowore's trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja on January 27, 2026, where Sowore faces a two-count amended charge related to alleged cybercrime. Sowore's lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, presented video evidence from a 2023 ARISE News interview in which Omokri described Tinubu as a "known drug lord" and claimed to have supporting documents.
The clips were tendered to question why the Department of State Services (DSS) cleared Omokri for an ambassadorial appointment despite such past statements, while Sowore is being prosecuted for his own online comments labeling the President a "criminal" in August 2025.
Omokri, responding to the issue, explained that he made those accusations between 2022 and 2023 based on what he then believed to be true. However, after discovering they were unfounded, he publicly withdrew them in writing, on video, and across multiple platforms in 2023.
He further affirmed his support for Tinubu following the President's inauguration on May 29, 2023, and again after the Supreme Court's dismissal of election petitions on October 26, 2023.
Omokri publicly apologized on television channels including TVC, News Central, and Channels Television's Politics Today, admitting he was wrong.
He also personally apologized to Tinubu in October 2024.Citing legal principles from Phipson on Evidence, Omokri argued that former statements cannot be used as evidence of truth once withdrawn, especially for Sowore's defense regarding more recent 2025 statements.
He firmly denied the allegations anew, declaring under oath readiness: "President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not, has never been, and will never be a drug lord."
The trial, involving cross-examination of DSS operative Cyril Nosike, was adjourned to February 4, 2026.
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