Defamation: Court grants final adjournment, threatens to foreclose Sowore’s defence

A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a final warning to Omoyele Sowore, the 2023 presidential candidate for the African Action Congress, in his ongoing criminal defamation trial. Justice Mohammed Umar declared that the court would foreclose Sowore's defense if the case does not proceed on the next adjourned date, signaling a potential end to the prolonged legal proceedings.

The warning came after Sowore's lead counsel, Mr. Olumide Fusika, was again absent from court. Sowore's lawyer, Mr. Marshall Abubakar, informed the judge that Fusika was attending to a family matter abroad and requested another adjournment. However, counsel for the Department of State Services, Mr. Akinlolu Kehinde, strongly opposed the application, citing consistent delays attributed to the defense.

Mr. Kehinde reminded the court that the trial had already suffered numerous adjournments at the defendant's request, despite an earlier order for accelerated hearing. In his ruling, Justice Umar acknowledged that the court had previously accommodated the defense but stated it would no longer permit unnecessary delays. He granted what he termed a "final adjournment."

The case, adjourned until July 22, centers on social media posts where Sowore allegedly referred to President Bola Tinubu as a "criminal." Initially, the DSS had included X (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Incorporated as defendants, but the prosecution later moved to have these tech companies struck out, leaving Sowore as the sole defendant.