The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Tuesday personally appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja to lead the prosecution in the alleged criminal defamation case involving Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Department of State Services (DSS) instituted the case before Justice Mohammed Umar, accusing Sowore of criminal defamation, cyberstalking and incitement.
READ MORE: Netanyahu, Trump Set for First White House Meeting Since Iran Conflict Began
Sowore, who was the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, is alleged to have published defamatory statements about President Bola Tinubu by describing him as “a criminal” in posts shared on his X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook accounts.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Fagbemi headed the prosecution team, which included the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), and several other counsel.
During the hearing, the AGF urged the court to dismiss a subpoena issued by the defence seeking to compel the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatisin Ajayi, to testify on Sowore’s behalf.
Fagbemi argued that the DSS had already demonstrated its willingness to cooperate by making one of its officials available to testify as the second defence witness (DW-2) during the previous sitting. He maintained that the request to summon the agency’s Director-General was unnecessary and was intended to delay the trial.
NAN
About The Author
