The Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a hearing for November 23, 2023, regarding two applications filed by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore in the defamation and cyberstalking charges brought by the Nigerian police on behalf of businessman and lawmaker Ned Nwoko.
Sowore, represented by his counsel Tope Temokun, has filed two applications seeking to dismiss the charges of cyberstalking and defamation brought by Nwoko against the human rights activist and online newspaper SaharaReporters.
Justice Emeka Nwite, presiding over the case, has set the date for the court to hear all the applications.
Temokun’s applications request that the court:
Set aside the forceful service of the charges intended for SaharaReporters on Sowore during the court proceedings.
Quash the charges of cyberstalking and defamation leveled against both Sowore and SaharaReporters.
The prosecution counsel, Edwin Inegbenoise, has submitted counter affidavits in response to the defense’s applications. However, Inegbenoise has been encountering difficulties in serving processes on the defendants, citing an inability to locate the address of the defense counsel, which is situated in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. This issue resulted in a temporary halt to the court proceedings when the counter affidavits were served on the defense counsel inside the court.
Temokun, when speaking to journalists, expressed frustration with the protracted nature of the case, emphasizing the need for proper legal procedures. He explained, “The matter between the Commissioner of Police, FCT, and Omoyele Sowore has been in the court since 2022. A criminal matter ordinarily starts with arraignment, and after arraignment, we proceed to address the substantive allegations. But we have been coming to court frequently, and it appears the prosecution may not be fully prepared or lacks the necessary instructions from the nominal complainant to proceed with the case. We won’t tire because it’s part of our job.”
The case revolves around allegations of defamation against Ned Nwoko by SaharaReporters and Sowore, with the charges brought forward through the police, a fact that has raised questions and concerns. The case has also seen amendments to the charges to include additional counts, a move viewed by the defense as an attempt to strengthen the case.