The Department of State Services (DSS), Monday, prayed the Federal High Court, Abuja, to foreclose the defence in the ongoing trial of online publisher and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, for allegedly frustrating his trial.
The DSS is prosecuting Sowore for alleged criminal defamation, cyberstalking and incitement, over posts he made on his social media platforms last year calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal.”
DSS counsel, Akinloku Kehinde, SAN, made the application before Justice Mohammed Umar after Sowore’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, sought an adjournment in the matter.
When the case was called, Olumide-Fusika informed the court that the matter was scheduled for continuation of defence.
He stated that he had been reliably informed that a DSS witness was in court to represent the director general of DSS, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, adding, “Unfortunately, it will not be possible for us to proceed.”
According to the lawyer, he filed an application since July 22 requesting the judge to attest to some documents which he planned to use in leading the subpoenaed witness, but discovered a few minutes to the beginning of hearing that the request had just been granted.
“We filed an application on 22nd July, 2026, and we were told that your lordship has not approved it. We only discovered that the court approved it since 27th July, few minutes before the court began sitting,” he said, and went ahead to blame the court registry.
At this point, counsel to the DSS opposed the excuse preferred by the defence, arguing that it was part of a dilatory tactic to prolong the trial.
He submitted that at the last adjourned date, it was agreed by all parties that a nominated officer from the DG of the DSS would appear in court to testify for the defence.