Sowere’s Cyber Bullying Trial Stalls As Legal Dispute Over Court Documents Delays Proceedings
The trial of activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, on allegations of cyberbullying was on Monday stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja following a disagreement between Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) representing the prosecution and the defence over the admissibility of certified court documents.
The proceedings, presided over by Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, were disrupted after both senior lawyers exchanged arguments on whether certain certified documents sought to be relied upon by the defence were properly obtained and admissible before the court. The disagreement prevented the trial from progressing as scheduled.
Kristina Reports learnt that Sowore is standing trial in a suit instituted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged cyberbullying and defamatory social media posts involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The activist has consistently denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During Monday’s proceedings, counsel to both parties engaged in lengthy legal arguments over the certified documents, with each side urging the court to either admit or reject them based on their interpretation of the law. The dispute ultimately forced the court to adjourn further proceedings without taking additional evidence.
The case has witnessed a series of delays in recent months. Earlier in the trial, the court dismissed Sowore’s no-case submission and ordered him to open his defence after ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case requiring him to respond to the allegations.
For observers, Monday’s development means the much-anticipated continuation of Sowore’s defence has once again been postponed, prolonging a case that has attracted widespread public attention because of its implications for freedom of expression, digital speech, and the application of Nigeria’s cybercrime laws.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to a later date to resolve the issues raised and continue hearing the case.
