From Kayode Lawal, Abuja
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a final warning to the Presidential Candidate of the African Alliance Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, to resume his defence in the defamation of President Bola Tinubu charges, which
the Department of the State Services (DSS) filed against him or be foreclosed.
The judge issued the warning on Thursday following the absence of Sowore’s lead counsel, Mr Olumide Fusika, SAN and Reuben Adakole, at the proceedings.
At the July 13 proceedings, Sowore, through Adakole, had sought from the court a long adjournment till after the vacation, the request that the judge declined.
Adakole had applied that the defence of his client in the charge be shifted till after the two months annual vacation of the court.
The activist, who is put on trial for allegedly calling Tinubu a criminal on his Facebook page and X handle, had predicated his long adjournment request on the ground that his choice lawyer, Olumide Fusika, SAN was out of the country to attend to family matters.
Counsel to the DSS, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, however vehemently opposed the request, drawing the attention of the court to ten previous adjournments the trial suffered at the instance of Sowore.
The senior lawyer had told Justice Umar that the latest request for long adjournment was a ploy and antics to further frustrate the criminal trial.
Kehinde had also drawn the attention of the court to day-to-day accelerated trial it granted in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice System ACJA 2015.
In a brief ruling, Justice Umar had turned down the long adjournment application based on the previous order of the court for day to day trial.
The judge subsequently ordered Sowore to be in court on July 16 for continuation of his defence in the charge.
However, at Thursday’s proceedings, Sowore was present in court but none of his two lawyers was in court and there was no explanation.
Justice Umar, who was not pleased with the development, fixed July 22 for Sowore to unfailingly resume his defence or get it foreclosed in line with the request from DSS lawyer, Mr Akinlolu Thomas Kehinde SAN.
The defendant had opened his defence with his first witness, Deji Adeyanju, who concluded the evidence and cross examination on July 13.
Visited 17 times, 1 visit(s) today
