June 5 (THEWILL) — Publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, on Friday informed the Federal High Court in Abuja of his decision to represent himself in the ongoing alleged cyberbullying case instituted against him by the Department of State Services (DSS), pending the constitution of a new legal team.
Sowore disclosed Justice Mohammed Umar shortly after the matter was called for the opening of his defence.
The development followed the court’s decision on Thursday to order a day-to-day hearing in the matter after declining an oral application by Sowore’s counsel, Marshall Abubakar, seeking a lengthy adjournment.
Sowore is facing prosecution by the DSS over allegations that he made false claims against President Bola Tinubu, including referring to the President as “a criminal” in posts published on his social media platforms, X and Facebook.
At the resumed proceedings on Friday, counsel for the DSS, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, was present in court while Sowore’s lawyer, Abubakar, was absent.
When Justice Umar asked about the absence of his legal representative, Sowore told the court that his lawyers had decided not to continue appearing before the court following the previous day’s proceedings.
According to him, his legal team felt intimidated and humiliated.
“Our lawyers indicated to me they are afraid of you and will not appear any longer because of the humiliation they suffered before this court. And pending the time I can re-constitute a new legal team, I shall be representing myself before your lordship,” Sowore said.
He further argued that it was his constitutional right to choose legal representation in any judicial process.
Sowore subsequently informed the court that he had filed two applications, one of which had already been served on the prosecution.
He specifically referred to a motion on notice filed on June 4, 2026, seeking the recusal of Justice Umar from further handling of the matter.
Seeking the court’s permission to move the application, Sowore prayed for an order directing the judge to withdraw from the case on grounds of alleged bias and humiliation.
He cited provisions of Section 36(1), (5), and (6) of the 1999 Constitution in support of his application and urged the court to grant the relief sought.
The DSS counsel did not object to Sowore moving the application but challenged its validity. Kehinde argued that the application was defective because the copy served on the prosecution allegedly lacked the signature and name of counsel responsible for preparing the document.
“This application is fundamentally incompetent as there is no name of the counsel that prepared the motion and attached to the motion paper,” he argued.
However, Justice Umar disagreed, noting that the court’s copy of the application had been duly signed.
“From my record here, the person who signed it is Marshall Abubakar,” the judge said.
Responding, Kehinde maintained that the version in his possession had not been signed.
“We presume it is Marshall Abubakar who signed it. I will not condone any technical move from you,” Justice Umar told the DSS counsel.
Opposing the application for recusal, Kehinde described it as an abuse of court process intended to frustrate proceedings.
He argued that the court was already guided by previous records, including a May 22 correspondence from the Chief Judge directing that the matter should continue.
According to him, all parties had been copied in the communication.
“Moreover, there is a subsisting order of this court that defence must commence today and the option is for the defence to be foreclosed if the defendant is not ready,” he submitted.
The senior advocate therefore urged the court to dismiss the application.
Justice Umar, after hearing submissions from both sides, stated that he would need time to study the processes filed by the defendant.
“I will adjourn this case to Monday for ruling,” he said.
Sowore, however, pleaded for additional time to enable him to engage new lawyers, citing the forthcoming Democracy Day celebration as part of the reason for his request.
“My lord, take judicial notice that I have attended this case from day one. I am just asking for indulgence for at least a week to come,” he appealed.
Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until June 15, 2026, for ruling on the recusal application and continuation of the defence.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
