Alleged defamation: Court rejects Sowore’s application for long adjournment

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Sowore

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday refused to grant an application for long adjournment filed by Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters.

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The Department of State Services (DSS) charged Sowore with criminal defamation, cyberstalking, and incitement.

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Justice Mohammed Umar refused the application by Sowore’s lawyer, Reuben Adakole, seeking permission to adjourn the trial until after the court’s annual vacation.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sowore is also the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC).

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He was alleged to have made false claims against the person of President Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts.

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However, after Adakole applied for the adjournment, the DSS lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, opposed the request.

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Kehinde drew the attention of the court to the previous adjournments the trial had suffered at the instance of Sowore.

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He argued that the latest request for long adjournment was a ploy by Sowore to further frustrate the criminal trial.

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Besides, the senior lawyer drew the attention of the court to the day-to-day accelerated trial granted by the court in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

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He said the order had not been set aside by the court.

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Kehinde, therefore, submitted that granting two months’ adjournment would be against the earlier order of the court.

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In a ruling, Justice Umar declined the application on the grounds of a previous order for an accelerated hearing of the matter.

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The judge subsequently ordered Sowore to be in court on July 16 for continuation of his defence in the charge.

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Earlier, Sowore’s first defence witness (DW-1), Deji Adeyanju, in continuation of his testimony, insisted that President Bola Tinubu, during an official engagement in Benue, said citizens had the right to insult, abuse, criticise and call him names.

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Adeyanju, a lawyer, said the president told the law enforcement agencies to allow citizens to exercise their rights as part of democracy.

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‎The DW-1 also testified that the president made it clear that the judiciary should be the guardian of the public and should not be used as an instrument of oppression against critics.

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The video clips of where the president made the remarks, earlier tendered as an exhibit, were played in the open court.

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While being cross-examined by the DSS lawyer, Adeyanju admitted being a counsel to Sowore.

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He, however, said that he was no longer in the defendant’s team of lawyers.

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He also admitted making comments on social media on his general experience about the arrest and prosecution in such a trial.

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The witness, however, admitted that President Tinubu did not speak against the law taking its course whenever laws are broken by any individual. (NAN)

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