Alleged Defamation: AGF shows up in court for Sowore’s trial

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Tuesday personally appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja for the prosecution in the trial of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters.

Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations of criminal defamation linked to comments made against President Bola Tinubu.

Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), was alleged to have made false claims against the person of President Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts.

Against this development, the DSS charged him with criminal defamation, cyberstalking and incitement.

Fagbemi, on Tuesday, led a team of lawyers, including the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, and Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, among others, in the trial.

He urged the court to reject Sowore’s subpoenaed letter, asking the DSS DG, Oluwatisin Ajayi, to testify in his defence.

The AGF, who said the DSS had been responsive enough to allow the 2nd defence witness (DW-2), an official from the service, to give testimony on the last adjourned date, said the application for Ajayi to testify was to delay the proceedings.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖