Judge Orders Omoyele Sowore’s Lawyer to Kneel In Abuja Court
Tension flared at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday as Justice Mohammed Umar warned of possible contempt proceedings against Marshall Abubakar, lead defence counsel to politician and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, over conduct deemed disrespectful in court.
The development, as obtained by PulseNets, followed an exchange in which the defence lawyer raised his voice during proceedings, prompting the court to order him to “come out and kneel down” openly. Fellow counsel, however, swiftly intervened, appealing to the court for leniency on his behalf.
Sowore is currently facing prosecution by the Department of State Services over allegations that he made defamatory remarks against Bola Tinubu, describing the president as “a criminal” in posts shared on his social media platforms, including X and Facebook.
PulseNets learnt that the courtroom tension escalated after Abubakar raised his voice while presenting arguments and further objected to the date fixed by the court for the defence to open its case, insisting it was inconvenient.
The situation reportedly began shortly after the defence concluded cross-examination of the prosecution’s sole witness. The prosecuting counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), subsequently announced the closure of the prosecution’s case and urged the court to invite the defence to proceed.
When asked by the court to indicate readiness, Abubakar responded that the defence intended to file a no-case submission and requested an adjournment until July.
Kehinde objected strongly, arguing that the request formed part of deliberate delay tactics by the defence and proposed that the matter be heard on a day-to-day basis to ensure speedy resolution.
In his remarks, Justice Umar noted that while the prosecution had handled its case expeditiously, the defence had taken four days to cross-examine a single witness, describing the pace as slow.
The court, however, declined the suggestion for daily hearings and instead fixed April 13 for the adoption of final written addresses on the no-case submission. PulseNets reported that the date did not sit well with the defence counsel.
As proceedings continued, Sowore, speaking from the witness box, attempted to explain how the scheduled date could conflict with his party’s primary elections. Simultaneously, his lawyer also addressed the court, outlining his client’s political ambitions.
“This court belongs to all of us. This court is not for some people alone. It belongs to all of us,” Marshall said, raising his voice.
Despite repeated cautions from the bench, the lawyer persisted, prompting a stern warning from Justice Umar.
“If you shout in this court again, I will commit you for contempt. In fact, come here! Come and kneel down here!” the judge declared, directing him to a position before the court.
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Following the development, other lawyers in attendance, led by Kehinde, moved quickly to plead for clemency, urging the court to temper justice with mercy.
While the appeals were ongoing, Justice Umar adjourned the matter to April 13 for adoption of final addresses and rose for the day.
