Sowore chose to defend himself in the cyberbullying trial

Sahara Reporters Publisher, Omoyele Sowore, on Friday indicated his readiness to represent himself in court pending the reconstitution of a new legal team in the ongoing trial over alleged cyberbullying.

Sowore told Justice Mohammed Umar at the Federal High Court, Abuja, shortly after the case was called to open his defence.

Judge Umar on Thursday had fixed today for the accused to open his defense on the matter.

The judge, who refused to grant Sowore’s lawyer Marshall Abubakar’s verbal request for a lengthy adjournment, ordered that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis.

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Sowore was charged by the Department of Foreign Services (DSS) for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by calling him a “criminal” in posts on his “X” and Facebook accounts.

At the hearing that resumed on Friday, only DSS lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), was present in court when the case was called.

It was apparent that defense counsel was not present.

When the defendant who was already on the bench was asked by the judge about the whereabouts of his lawyer, he said that after the previous day’s decision that the trial would continue every day, his lawyer was afraid to appear in court.

“Our lawyers indicated to me that they are afraid in your presence and will not appear again because of the humiliation they suffered before this court.

“And while waiting for the time when I can re-form a new legal team, I will represent myself before Your Majesty,” he said.

Sowore told the court that he has a constitutional right to choose the lawyer who will represent him in any trial in Nigeria.

The defendant then informed the court that he had two applications which he had submitted and one of them had been submitted to the Prosecutor.