CYBERBULLYING TRIAL: SOWORE’S CASE ADJOURNED AFTER SANS CLASH IN COURT
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By:Tajudeen Aminat
Sowore’s Cyberbullying Trial Adjourned After Courtroom Clash Between SANs
Proceedings in the cyberbullying trial of activist Omoyele Sowore were adjourned on Monday after a heated exchange between defence counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), and prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The dispute arose after the defence requested another adjournment, citing its inability to obtain Certified True Copies (CTCs) of court documents it described as essential to continuing its case.
Olumide-Fusika told Justice Muhammed Umar that although a Department of State Services (DSS) witness was present in compliance with a subpoena, the defence could not proceed without the certified records.
He explained that the application for the documents was filed on July 22, 2026, but the court registry repeatedly informed the defence that the judge had not approved the request. He later discovered that Justice Umar had approved the application on July 27, attributing the delay to the court registry rather than the judge.
Opposing the application, Kehinde accused the defence of deliberately delaying the trial and argued that the prosecution had fulfilled its obligations by ensuring the DSS witness was available to testify.
He maintained that the defence should have followed up more diligently on its request and urged the court to close the defence’s case, arguing that it had been granted several adjournments without making meaningful progress.
In response, Olumide-Fusika rejected the allegation of delay, insisting the defence had acted in good faith and that the requested documents were crucial to its line of questioning under the Evidence Act.
He stressed that the defence had no control over the internal processes of the court registry and dismissed claims of deliberate stalling as unfair.
The proceedings took a dramatic turn when Olumide-Fusika interrupted Kehinde during further submissions, describing the prosecuting counsel as a “persecutor” rather than a prosecutor.
Justice Umar immediately cautioned the senior lawyer, warning that any further misconduct could result in his referral to the appropriate disciplinary authorities.
The judge noted that the defence had sought multiple adjournments since the prosecution closed its case and subsequently adjourned the matter until September 20, 2026, for the continuation of the defence.
The Federal Government is prosecuting Sowore on a two-count charge of cyberbullying over alleged social media posts in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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