Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, has opted to represent himself in court in the ongoing alleged cyberbullying case brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Sowore informed Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday that his legal team had withdrawn due to fear of further “humiliation” following the judge’s previous rulings. He cited this as the reason for temporarily defending himself until he reconstitutes a new legal team.
The court had on Thursday ordered a day-to-day trial and fixed Friday for Sowore to open his defence. When the matter came up, only the DSS counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), was present. Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, was absent.
Standing in the dock, Sowore told the court: “Our lawyers indicated to me they are afraid before you and will not appear any longer because of the humiliation they suffered before this court.” He added that it was his constitutional right to choose his representation.
Sowore then moved a motion on notice filed on June 4, 2026, seeking the recusal of Justice Umar from the case on grounds of alleged bias. He cited relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) in support of his application.
The DSS counsel opposed the motion, describing it as “fundamentally incompetent,” an abuse of court process, and an attempt to irritate the court. Kehinde noted that the Chief Judge had directed the matter to proceed and that a subsisting order required the defence to open or risk being foreclosed.
Justice Umar acknowledged that the motion was signed by Marshall Abubakar. He reserved ruling on the recusal application and adjourned the case to Monday, June 15, 2026, for the ruling and continuation of the defence.
Sowore had pleaded for at least a one-week adjournment, citing the need to secure new counsel and the ongoing Democracy Day celebrations, but the judge reminded him of the earlier order for day-to-day hearing.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the DSS for allegedly making false claims against President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in posts on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
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