Tinubu defamation trial: Court issues final warning to Sowore

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a final warning to presidential candidate of the African Alliance Congress AAC, Omoyele Sowore, to resume his defence in the defamation charges filed against him by the Department of the State Service, DSS.

Sowore is being prosecuted for allegedly defaming President Bola Tinubu.

The judge issued the warning on Thursday following the absence of Sowore’s lead counsel, Mr Olumide Fusika, SAN, and Reuben Adakole during the proceedings.

During earlier proceedings on July 13, Sowore through Adakole sought a long adjournment but the request was turned down by the judge.

Adakole had applied that the defence of his client in the charge be shifted till after the two months annual vacation of the court.

The activist who is put on trial for allegedly calling President Tinubu a criminal on his Facebook page and X handle had predicated his long adjournment request on the ground that his choice lawyer, Fusika, was out of the country to attend to family matters.

His request was however vehemently opposed by counsel to the DSS, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, who drew the attention of the court to 10 previous adjournments the trial suffered at the instance of Sowore.

The senior lawyer had told Justice Umar that the latest request for long adjournment was a ploy to further frustrate the criminal trial.

Kehinde had also drawn the attention of the court to day-to-day accelerated trial granted by the court in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice System, ACJA, 2015.

In a brief ruling, Justice Umar had turned down the long adjournment application based on the previous order of the court for day to day trial.

The judge subsequently ordered Sowore to be in court on July 16 for continuation of his defense in the charge.

At Thursday’s proceedings, Sowore was present in court but none of his two lawyers was in court and there was no explanation.

Irked by the development, Justice Mohammed Garba Umar fixed July 22 for Sowore to unfailingly resume his defence or have it foreclosed as requested by the DSS lawyer.

The defendant had opened his defence with his first witness, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, who concluded the evidence and cross examination on July 13.