Sowore drops bid to invite DSS DG as witness in alleged Tinubu defamation trial

Online publisher and presidential candidate of the of the African Alliance Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore has withdrawn his plan to invite the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, as his witness in his ongoing trial for alleged criminal defamation of President Bola Tinubu on social media.

Sowore, on Tuesday, told the Federal High Court in Abuja, that the evidence for which he had earlier subpoenaed the DSS boss could be obtained from any other official of the Service.

The development came after the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), for the first time since the trial began, led the prosecution on behalf of the federal government.

The AGF had objected to the subpoena issued on the DSS boss on the ground that the document he was to give evidence upon was not authored by him but another person who had already testified in the matter.

He argued that the letter by the DSS advising Sowore to pull down the posts wherein he called President Tinubu a “criminal” had been tendered and admitted as exhibits twice by the same court, hence, no reason for it to be tendered the third time.

The Chief Law Officer of the country argued that the author of the letter, Mr. Uwen Davis had on July 22 testified for Sowore in the trial and that the document is already in the custody of the court.

Adeyinka Olumide Fusika, SAN, who appeared for Sowore, had objected to the appearance of the Attorney General in the matter on the ground that Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, was the federal government lawyer in the court’s record.

The presiding judge, Muhammed Umar, adjourned the matter till Monday August 3 for continuation of defence by Sowore

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖