A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered politician and online publisher, Omoyele Sowore to enter a defence in his ongoing cyberbullying trial for allegedly making a defamatory remark about President Bola Tinubu.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts.
At the conclusion of the prosecution’s case, rather than proceeding to conduct his defence, Sowore elected to make a no-case submission, arguing among others, that no prima facie case was made against him to warrant his being called upon to enter a defence.
In a ruling on Friday, Justice Mohammed Umar dismissed Sowore’s no-case submission and upheld the argument by lawyer to the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), that a prima facie case has been established against Sowore to warrant his being called upon to enter a defence.
Justice Umar ordered him to enter his defence against the case already made out against him by the prosecution.
Shortly after the ruling, and following an oral application by Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, the judge granted audience to the defendant.
While addressing the court, Sowore accused the judge of being biased, alleged that the judge humiliated his lawyer by ordering him to kneel down during one of the court’s sittings.
Sowore said he was not sure he would get justice in the court and asked the judge to recuse himself from the case.
Marshall, who spoke afterwards, re-echoed what his client said and asked the judge to recuse himself, a request the prosecuting lawyer argued, could only be made via a formal written application.
Ruling, Justice Umar ordered Abubakar to file a formal application, which he must serve on the prosecution, stating reasons why the judge should recuse himself from the case.
The judge adjourned till May 19 for hearing.