DSS vs Sowore: Judge vows to probe leaked court session video

Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court in Abuja has promised to probe the streaming of court  proceedings in the alleged Cyber bullying case brought against Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist/publisher. Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly making false claim against the person of Present Bola […]

Justice Mohammed Umar of a Federal High Court in Abuja has promised to probe the streaming of court  proceedings in the alleged Cyber bullying case brought against Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist/publisher.

Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly making false claim against the person of Present Bola Tinubu by referring to him as a criminal in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts.

The prosecuting lawyer had alleged that a member of the defence team live streamed previous proceedings in the case and urged the court to order an investigation to identify the person behind it.

Although Marshall Abubakar, Sowore’s counsel, denied that any member of the defence team was involved and claimed that it could have been done by the DSS or people in the presidency, the judge said such conduct amounted to contempt of court.

Abubakar urged the court to only caution against a repeat of such incident, but to decline the request by the prosecuting lawyer that an investigation be ordered by the court.

Justice Umar said it was easy to identify the person behind the incident and that he could direct security agencies to investigate the issue because it was a serious matter.

The judge promised to probe the leaked video.

Meanwhile, in two rulings on Wednesday, the judge rejected two sets of documents tendered by Sowore.

In the first ruling on Wednesday, Justice Mohammed Umar declined an oral application by Abubakar that a set of documents, comprising print outs of publications, be admitted in evidence.

The publications include media reports about DSS’ dismissal of 115 officials for misconduct, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charging five ex-governors with corruption, EFCC’s sacking 27 of its officials over fraud and misconduct and EFCC’s arrest of some ex-staff of the NNPCL over N7.2billion fraud.

In the ruling, Justice Umar agreed with prosecuting lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN) that the best opportunity for the defendant to tender the documents is during the conduct of his defence.

The judge held that since the first prosecution witness (PW1) being cross-examined by Abubakar said he knew nothing about the publications contained in the documents, such documents could not be tendered through the witness.

“You cannot tender a document through a witness who said he did not know anything about it.
The document is marked as rejected,” Justice Umar said.

In the second ruling, the judge rejected another set of documents which comprised of print outs of publications which Abubakar claimed showed that President Bola Tinubu had in 2011 called then President Goodluck Jonathan a drunkard and sinking fisherman, and also called former President Olusegun Obasanjo “expired meat.”

The judge marked the documents rejected for the same reason he gave in rejecting the first set of documents.