Omoyele Sowore, Human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters on Friday refused to open his defence in an ongoing cyberbullying trial before the federal high court.
Sowore is being prosecuted over allegations that he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal” in a series of social media posts.
When the case came up for hearing, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, prosecution counsel informed the court presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar that the matter was scheduled for the defence to open its case.
However, no legal representative appeared for the defendant in court, as Sowore told the court that his lawyers had declined to attend the proceedings, citing alleged repeated humiliation from the bench.
He told the court that he was exercising his constitutional right to self-representation, adding that he would personally handle his defence while making efforts to assemble a new legal team.
During the sitting, Sowore also filed a motion seeking the recusal of the trial judge, Justice Umar, requesting that the case file be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment.
The prosecution counsel did not oppose the motion being heard but raised concerns over a technical issue, noting that the application did not clearly indicate the name of the counsel who drafted it.
Justice Umar, however, examined the document and proceeded with the hearing, cautioning the prosecution against relying on technical objections, while stressing his commitment to a fair trial.
The prosecution later urged the court to dismiss the application, describing it as an abuse of court process intended to frustrate proceedings. The senior lawyer also argued that an earlier administrative request for reassignment had already been rejected by the Chief Judge in a letter dated May 22, 2026, insisting that the trial should continue on a daily basis.
He warned that the defence risked being foreclosed if it failed to proceed with its case.
Sowore, however, requested an adjournment of about one week to enable him to study the case file and secure proper legal representation, citing the upcoming Democracy Day break on June 12.
After listening to both parties, Justice Umar stated that he would take time to consider the application for recusal before making a ruling. The court subsequently adjourned the case until June 15, 2026, for ruling on the motion, adding that he would step aside if the application was found to have merit.
