Introduction to the Case
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 presidential election, Omoyele Sowore, on Wednesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja escaped an arrest warrant following his failure to appear before the court for arraignment on defamation charges.
Proceedings at the Federal High Court
During proceedings on Wednesday, Counsel to the Department of the State Service (DSS), Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN had urged Justice Mohammed Umar to issue a bench warrant against Sowore for being absent in court without justification, having been served the charges and hearing notice from the last adjourned date. The senior lawyer said that the action of Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters media, staying away from court despite being served with the charges is an affront to the sanctity of the court and must be treated with the punishment such behavior deserves.
Request for Bench Warrant
Kehinde said that Sowore’s was disturbing and unacceptable because no lawyer appeared for him as required by law. He urged the Judge to invoke his inherent power to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant by security agents wherever he may be. Justice Umar, however, noted that the order for a bench warrant will not subsist for now, following the submission of the 2nd defendant, X Corporation, that they have not been served the charge sheet even though they received a hearing notice.
Adjournment and Next Steps
The trial Judge then directed that all parties be duly served and adjourned the case to December 2, 2025, for arraignment to take place. Meanwhile, counsel to X Corporation, Christabel Ndiokwelo, told the court that the complainant had yet to serve the formal charges on their client, noting that only a hearing notice had been served earlier.
Positions of Other Parties
Earlier in the proceeding, the DSS lawyer had drawn the attention of the court to a letter by Deji Adeyanju, calling for an adjournment in the case, hence his request for a bench warrant, noting that Sowore is only taking the court for granted. META (Facebook) INC, through their lawyer, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, aligned himself with the prosecution’s request for a bench warrant against Sowore, stating that the 1st defendant had accused them of taking sides with the prosecution. Oyetibo noted that the letter for adjournment is a form of distraction, as Sowore knows what he is doing.
Conclusion
After taking arguments, Justice Umar fixed December 2 for the arraignment of all the defendants and also directed that the hearing notice must be served on them. The case highlights the importance of respecting the legal process and the consequences of failing to appear in court when required.
FAQs
- Q: Why was Omoyele Sowore not arrested despite failing to appear in court?
A: The court decided not to issue a bench warrant for Sowore’s arrest because the 2nd defendant, X Corporation, had not been served with the charge sheet. - Q: What is the next step in the case?
A: The case has been adjourned to December 2, 2025, for the arraignment of all defendants. - Q: Why did the DSS counsel request a bench warrant for Sowore’s arrest?
A: The DSS counsel requested a bench warrant because Sowore failed to appear in court without justification and no lawyer represented him, which was seen as disrespect to the court.
