Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the no-case submission filed by activist Omoyele Sowore in the cyberbullying case brought against him by the Department of State Services (DSS). The charges stem from Sowore allegedly calling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a “criminal” on his Twitter handle.
Ruling on No-Case Submission
In his ruling on Friday, Justice Umar held that the DSS had successfully linked Sowore to the alleged offences, establishing a prima facie case that warranted his defense. The judge ordered Sowore to enter his defense against the two-count charge.
Sowore had previously filed the no-case submission, praying the court to discharge and acquit him. However, the court found sufficient evidence to proceed with the trial.
Sowore Accuses Judge of Bias
Shortly after the ruling, Sowore openly accused the judge of bias, stating that he would not receive justice in that court. He requested that Justice Umar hands off from the trial and allow another judge to preside. Sowore alleged that the judge was collaborating with the federal government to secure his conviction at all costs, thereby preventing him from contesting the 2027 general election.
Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, echoed these sentiments, telling the judge that he was favoring the federal government in the conduct of the trial. Abubakar asked the judge to return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge.
DSS Lawyer's Objection
The DSS lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde SAN, had earlier asked the judge not to grant audience to Sowore or his counsel on record. He prayed that the recusal application be discontinued.
In a brief ruling, Justice Umar ordered Sowore to file a formal application for recusal, stating his grievances in writing. The judge subsequently fixed May 19 for the defendant to open his defense and for the recusal application to be heard.
Details later.
