The trial of activist and former African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on alleged cyberbullying charges was on Monday adjourned by the Federal High Court in Abuja after a heated exchange between senior lawyers representing the prosecution and the defence.
Justice Muhammed Umar fixed September 20, 2026, for the continuation of the defence after proceedings were disrupted by disagreements over the defence’s request for another adjournment.
Lead defence counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), told the court that the defence was unable to proceed because it had not received Certified True Copies (CTCs) of court documents it considered crucial to its case.
He explained that the documents had been requested on July 22 but were not released due to delays at the court registry, despite the judge having approved the application on July 27.
Fusika said the defence had been informed that a Department of State Services (DSS) officer was present in court in compliance with a subpoena but argued that continuing without the certified documents would prejudice the defence’s case.
He maintained that the delay was caused by administrative issues at the registry and not by the defence.
The prosecution, led by Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), opposed the request, accusing the defence of repeatedly delaying the trial. Kehinde argued that the prosecution had fulfilled its obligation by producing the DSS witness and urged the court to close the defence’s case, saying several adjournments had already been granted without meaningful progress.
He submitted that while the Constitution guarantees the right to a fair hearing, it does not permit endless delays in criminal proceedings.
Responding, Fusika dismissed the allegation of deliberate delay, insisting that the defence had acted diligently throughout the trial. He argued that the prosecution failed to address the reasons for the registry’s delay and noted that the defence could have insisted on the appearance of the DSS Director-General if its intention had been to prolong the case.
The proceedings became tense when Fusika interrupted the prosecuting counsel and described him as a “persecutor” rather than a prosecutor. Justice Umar immediately cautioned the senior advocate, warning that any further misconduct could lead to disciplinary action.
The judge observed that the defence had called only one witness since the prosecution closed its case and had sought several adjournments. He subsequently adjourned the matter to September 20 for the continuation of the defence.
Sowore is facing a two count charge of cyberbullying brought by the Federal Government over social media posts in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
