Cyberbullying Trial: Sowore’s Case Adjourned After Lawyers Clash in Court

The trial of Omoyele Sowore over alleged cyberbullying was on Monday stalled at the Federal High Court in Abuja following a heated exchange between senior lawyers representing the defence and the prosecution.

Sowore’s counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), requested another adjournment, explaining that the defence had been unable to obtain Certified True Copies (CTCs) of court documents it considered essential for continuing its case. He blamed delays at the court registry, saying the documents had not been released despite an application filed on July 22, 2026.

According to the defence, a witness from the Department of State Services (DSS) was already in court in response to a subpoena, but proceedings could not continue without the requested records.

Prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), opposed the application, accusing the defence of deliberately delaying the trial. He argued that the prosecution had fulfilled its obligations by making the DSS witness available and urged the court to close the defence's case after several previous adjournments.

Fusika rejected the allegation, insisting the defence had acted diligently and that the delay resulted from administrative issues at the court registry rather than any attempt to frustrate the proceedings. He maintained that the documents were necessary to properly present the defence's case.

The courtroom atmosphere became tense when Fusika referred to the prosecuting counsel as a "persecutor" instead of a prosecutor during arguments. Justice Muhammed Umar immediately cautioned the senior lawyer, warning that any further misconduct could result in disciplinary action.

The judge observed that the defence had called only one witness since the prosecution closed its case and noted that the matter had already been adjourned several times at the defence's request.

Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the trial until September 20, 2026, for the continuation of the defence.

The Federal Government is prosecuting Sowore on a two-count charge of alleged cyberbullying, accusing him of referring to President Bola Tinubu as a "criminal" on his X and Facebook accounts. Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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