Alleged cyberstalking: Court rejects Sowore’s documents in trial on false claim against Tinubu
Federal High Court Rejects Documents in Sowore Cyberstalking Trial
ABUJA — Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court dismissed two sets of documents submitted by Omoyele Sowore, a politician and online publisher, during his ongoing trial for alleged cyberstalking on Wednesday.
The trial, initiated by the Department of State Services (DSS), accuses Sowore of making false accusations against President Bola Tinubu by labeling him a criminal in posts on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
In the first ruling, Justice Umar denied an oral application from Sowore’s attorney, Marshall Abubakar, to admit a collection of documents, which included media reports about various DSS and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) actions related to misconduct and corruption.
Justice Umar concurred with prosecuting counsel Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN) that such documents would be more appropriately presented during the defense phase of the trial. He noted that the first prosecution witness had claimed no knowledge of the publications, rendering them inadmissible through that witness.
“You cannot tender a document through a witness who said he does not know anything about it. The document is marked as rejected,” Justice Umar stated.
In a subsequent ruling, the judge also rejected a second set of documents that claimed to show past derogatory remarks made by President Tinubu about former leaders Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo. The judge cited the same reasoning as in the first ruling.
The court addressed a report from the prosecution alleging that a member of the defense team had livestreamed previous proceedings. Justice Umar suggested that this behavior constituted contempt of court and could warrant further investigation. While Abubakar denied any involvement from his team, suggesting potential responsibility from the DSS or individuals within the presidency, Justice Umar stated the matter was serious enough to warrant action.
Sowore’s case will continue as Justice Umar adjourned to allow the defense additional time for cross-examination. Cyril Nosike, a DSS official, was the focus of cross-examination on this day. He confirmed that Timubu’s official X handle at the time of Sowore’s posts was @officialABAT but refuted claims made by Abubakar regarding the President’s previous statements about his predecessors.
Nosike stated he was unaware of Nigeria’s rankings in global corruption assessments and lacked knowledge of the EFCC’s specific actions against former governors and officials.
After lengthy questioning, Justice Umar remarked on the duration of the cross-examination, which had extended over two days. Abubakar sought one more day for questioning, arguing that essential inquiries remained. Justice Umar responded by granting the request for additional time, setting the next hearing for March 5 to continue cross-examination.
The unfolding trial continues to draw attention, reflecting the contentious political climate in Nigeria.
