- Safiu Kehinde
Drama has on Monday ensued at the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja after Justice Mohammed Umar ordered a lawyer representing human rights activist Omoyele Sowore to kneel during proceedings.
The incident occurred during the resumption of Sowore’s ongoing trial on the suit filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly labelling President Bola Tinubu a criminal.
According to reports, tension began in the courtroom after Sowore’s legal team asked for a longer adjournment following the prosecution’s claim that it had closed its case.
Sowore told the court of his intention to continue travelling across Nigeria to mobilise opposition against Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
Lead prosecutor Adeolu Kehinde (SAN) quickly moved to interrupt him, prompting Sowore’s lead counsel, Marshal Abubakar, to rise and speak.
According to reports from the courtroom, the lawyer delivered an emotional intervention, arguing that Nigeria’s future depended on the kind of progressive, leftist ideas Sowore represents.
He also suggested that the federal government was determined to silence the activist and possibly imprison him to prevent him from participating in the next election cycle.
Justice Umar, who had repeatedly warned Abubakar against further arguments, allegedly lost his temper and ordered the lawyer to step forward and kneel down as punishment for what he described as contempt of court.
The defence counsel however refused, insisting it was not recognised under Nigerian law.
Abubakar reportedly told the court that kneeling before a judge was unknown to Nigerian law and could not be imposed as a lawful punishment.