The Federal High Court in Abuja witnessed a moment of levity on Thursday during the cyberstalking trial of human rights activist and SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore.
The Department of State Services (DSS) tendered a video of President Bola Tinubu’s speech delivered on August 26, 2025, during his state visit to Brazil as part of its evidence. During the playback, Tinubu claimed that he had “fought corruption to a standstill” and that “there was no corruption in Nigeria any longer.” The courtroom, including lawyers, court officials, and journalists, erupted in laughter, momentarily halting proceedings.
At the resumed hearing, DSS counsel Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, called its first witness, operative Cyril Nosike (PW-1), who presented screenshots of social media posts allegedly made by Sowore on his verified X and Meta (formerly Facebook) accounts, in which the activist referred to the President as “a criminal.” The prosecution also claimed Sowore used his mobile phone during court proceedings, an allegation he denied, handing over his device to his counsel as directed by Justice Mohammed Umar.
Messages allegedly posted by Sowore on X and Meta were admitted as evidence, with the defence reserving objections to their admissibility for the final written addresses. Sowore’s lead counsel, Marshal Abubakar, requested an adjournment to study the witness statement and other documents.
Justice Umar adjourned the trial to January 27, 2026, for cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness and continuation of hearing.
