By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja
A tense courtroom drama unfolded at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday as Omoyele Sowore, the fiery publisher of Sahara Reporters and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), narrowly escaped a bench warrant for his arrest.
Sowore was billed to appear for his arraignment on defamation charges but was conspicuously absent when proceedings began—an absence that nearly earned him an arrest order.
Counsel for the Department of State Services (DSS), Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, wasted no time urging Justice Mohammed Umar to issue a bench warrant. He argued that Sowore had been duly served both the charges and hearing notice from the last sitting, describing the activist’s failure to appear as a “blatant disregard for the sanctity of the court.”
“Such behavior cannot go unpunished,” Kehinde insisted, emphasizing that not even a lawyer appeared on Sowore’s behalf. “The defendant’s conduct is disturbing and unacceptable.”
He urged the judge to exercise his inherent powers to order security agencies to arrest Sowore “wherever he may be.”
But the expected warrant did not come.
Justice Umar held back, noting that the second defendant, X Corporation (formerly Twitter), had not yet been served with the charge sheet, though they confirmed receipt of a hearing notice. Citing the incomplete service, the judge ruled that issuing a bench warrant would be premature.
The case was then adjourned to December 2, 2025, for proper arraignment of all defendants, with the court directing that every party be duly served before the next sitting.
Earlier, counsel for X Corporation, Christabel Ndiokwelo, clarified that her client had not received formal charges from the complainant—only a notice of hearing.
Adding to the courtroom tension, Kehinde drew attention to a letter from activist Deji Adeyanju, seeking an adjournment on Sowore’s behalf. The DSS lawyer dismissed the letter as a ploy to delay justice, accusing Sowore of “taking the court for granted.”
Meta (Facebook) Inc., represented by Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, threw its weight behind the prosecution’s call for a bench warrant, alleging that Sowore had previously accused the tech giant of siding with the DSS. Oyetibo described the adjournment request as “a distraction,” asserting that Sowore “knows exactly what he is doing.”
With tempers cooled and arguments exhausted, Justice Umar closed the session by reaffirming the new date and directing that all defendants be properly notified.
For now, Sowore walks free—but come December 2, the defamation case is expected to take center stage once again
