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Justice Mohammed Umar of the High Court in Abuja has threatened to commit the lead defence counsel for the politician and online publisher Omoyele Sowore to prison for contempt over alleged rudeness in court.
After the lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, raised his voice during proceedings, the judge ordered him to “come out and kneel down” in open court.
Other lawyers present quickly intervened and appealed to the judge to pardon their colleague.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations that he made false claims against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in posts on his X and Facebook accounts.
The defence lawyer reportedly drew the judge’s anger by insisting that the date set by the court for the defence to open its case was inconvenient for him.
The situation arose shortly after Abubakar completed the cross-examination of the prosecution’s sole witness. Following this, the prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), announced the closure of the prosecution’s case and requested that the defence open its case.
When asked by the court when the defence would proceed, Abubakar said the defendant would make a no-case submission and suggested that the matter be adjourned until July. Kehinde objected, arguing that the request was a tactic by the defence to delay the proceedings further. He proposed that the matter be given an accelerated hearing and conducted daily.
Justice Umar, however, noted that while the prosecution handled its case swiftly, the defence spent four days cross-examining the prosecution’s only witness.
The judge said daily hearings were not feasible but directed both parties to return on 13 April to adopt their final written addresses regarding the no-case submission.
Tension rose when Sowore attempted to address the court from the witness box about how the proposed date might affect his party’s upcoming primaries, while his lawyer simultaneously addressed the judge.
“This court belongs to all of us. This court is not for some people alone. It belongs to all of us,” Abubakar said.
Attempts by the judge to get the lawyer to lower his voice were unsuccessful. At that point, Justice Umar warned, “If you shout in this court again, I will commit you for contempt. In fact, come here! Come and kneel down here!” while pointing to a spot in front of the courtroom.
Other lawyers, led by Kehinde, immediately stood up and pleaded with the judge to forgive the defence counsel.
While they were still appealing, the judge adjourned the case until 13 April to adopt final written addresses and rose for the day.
