A federal high court in Abuja has threatened to send Marshall Abubakar, counsel to Omoyele Sowore, activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, to prison over alleged contempt.
Findings revealed that the presiding judge, Mohammed Umar, gave the warning after Abubakar raised his voice during Monday’s court hearings, .
Sowore is on trial for a two-count accusation that the Department of State Services (DSS) favoured against him.
The accusation comes after Sowore called Tinubu a “criminal” in a post on X on August 25 in response to the president’s comments about corruption while visiting Brazil.
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At the resumed court sitting on Monday, Akinlolu Kehinde, counsel to the DSS, closed the prosecution’s case, presenting only one witness.
The witness was cross-examined by Sowore’s counsel. During the court proceedings, the trial asked his lawyer to open their defence.
Abubakar, however, retorted that the defendant will submit a no-case motion and suggested that the court postpone until July.
READ ALSO: Sowore Leads Protest In Abia For Nnamdi Kanu’s Release
The DSS lawyer, however, protested, claiming that it was one of the defense’s dilatory strategies meant to further postpone the hearings.
The DSS counsel said there is nothing stopping the case from being heard on a daily basis.
In response, the presiding judge stated that although the defence took four days to cross-examine the prosecution’s lone witness, the prosecution presented its case quickly.
The judge directed the parties to return on April 13 for the adoption of their final written addresses in respect of the no-case submission.
According to reports, Sowore’s attorney was making a proposal on the same issue when he was speaking to the judge from the witness box about how the suggested date would conflict with the African Action Congress (AAC) primaries.
“This court belongs to all of us. This court is not for some people alone. It belongs to all of us,” Abubakar said.
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Displeased with the lawyer’s comment, the judge warned that there will be consequences if he shouts in his court again.
“If you shout in this court again, I will commit you for contempt. In fact, come here! Come and kneel down here,” the judge said while pointing to a spot in front of the courtroom.
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