Cybercrime Trial: Judge Threatens Sowore Over Delayed Defence

The Federal High Court in Abuja has threatened to foreclose the defence of human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, if he fails to continue presenting his case.

Naija News reports that Justice Mohammed Umar issued the warning at the resumed hearing after Sowore appeared in court without any member of his legal team.

The judge expressed concern over the absence of defence counsel and the failure to produce additional witnesses in line with the court’s order for the trial to proceed from day to day.

Addressing the court, Sowore explained that his lead counsel, Olumide Fusika, SAN, was in the United Kingdom with the knowledge of the court.

He added that the lawyer expected to stand in for Fusika, Raphael Adakole, was also outside the court’s jurisdiction.

Sowore consequently asked for an adjournment to enable his lawyers to return and continue his defence.

He also sought permission to make an oral application before the court.

Justice Umar, however, told him that he could only move the application personally if he intended to conduct his defence without legal representation.

The prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, reminded the court that the matter had been adjourned for the defence to serve subpoenas signed by the judge on the relevant witnesses.

Kehinde said Fusika was also absent at the previous sitting and recalled that the court had ruled that the lead counsel’s absence could not continue to delay proceedings.

He urged the court to enforce its subsisting order directing that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis.

Justice Umar warned that the court could close Sowore’s defence if he failed to present his witnesses and continue the case.

The judge maintained that the trial could not be indefinitely stalled by the repeated absence of defence lawyers.

Sowore had earlier opened his defence and called human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju as his first witness in the cybercrime case instituted against him by the Federal Government.