Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the no-case submission filed by activist Omoyele Sowore in his ongoing trial over alleged cyberbullying of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services over allegations that he described the president as a “criminal” on his X social media account.
In his ruling, Justice Umar held that Sowore has a case to answer, stating that the prosecution had established a prima facie case requiring the defendant to provide explanations on issues raised during trial. The court also noted that evidence presented by the prosecution showed that the activist used his social media handle to publish the controversial post.
Following the ruling, Sowore, through his counsel, sought and obtained permission to address the court. He told Justice Umar that he lacked confidence in receiving justice from the court, alleging that his counsel had previously been humiliated and that he had been subjected to harassment during the proceedings.
Sowore subsequently asked the judge to recuse himself from the matter, while his legal team informed the court that a formal application seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case would be filed.
The matter was adjourned until May 19 for further proceedings, despite concerns raised by Sowore’s counsel over the suitability of the date.
