A judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria has threatened to commit Marshall Abubakar to prison for alleged contempt during the ongoing cybercrime trial of activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore.
The presiding judge, Mohammed Umar, issued the warning on Monday after Abubakar reportedly raised his voice during court proceedings.
Sowore is currently facing a two-count charge filed by the Department of State Services (DSS). The charges stem from a post he made on the social media platform X on August 25, where he described Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a “criminal” while reacting to the president’s remarks on corruption during a trip to Brazil.
During Monday’s hearing, the prosecution counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, closed the prosecution’s case after presenting a single witness, who was cross-examined by the defence team.
Following the prosecution’s presentation, the court asked the defence to open its case. However, Abubakar informed the court that the defence intended to file a no-case submission and requested that the matter be adjourned to July.
The request was opposed by the DSS counsel, who argued that the defence was deliberately attempting to delay the trial. The judge also noted that while the prosecution presented its case promptly, the defence spent four days cross-examining the lone witness.
Tension rose during the proceedings when both Sowore and his lawyer attempted to address the court simultaneously over a proposed adjournment date that could clash with the primaries of the African Action Congress (AAC), Sowore’s political party.
The judge warned Abubakar against raising his voice in court again and threatened to jail him for contempt if the conduct continued. The matter was subsequently adjourned to April 13 for the adoption of final written addresses on the no-case submission.
