Court Adjourns Ned Nwoko’s Defamation, Cyber-Stalking Case Against Sowore
Sowore’s lawyer, Tope Temokun, at the last adjournment on May 2 objected to the move by the court to proceed with the trial and force his client to take plea for the 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
The convener of #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, was in the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday over the charges bordering on alleged defamation and cyber-stalking suit filed against him and SaharaReporters Media Group by the FCT Commissioner of Police on behalf of Senator Ned Nwoko.
The matter which came up before Justice Emeka Nwite has been adjourned to November 21.
Sowore’s lawyer, Tope Temokun, at the last adjournment on May 2 objected to the move by the court to proceed with the trial and force his client to take plea for the 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
Ned had petitioned Sahara Reporters Foundation and Mr. Omoyele Sowore for criminal defamation, injurious falsehood publication of news known to be false contrary to section 391, 392, 393, 394, 395, and 418 of the Penal code of Northern Nigeria through his lawyers, Trifold Law & Partners.
The petition signed by Bryan U. Ukaegbu on behalf of the law firm accuses Sowore of several defamatory statements on the news platform and social media handles, aimed at running down their client’s business and political career.
On May 2, Sowore addressed Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, informing the court that the police actions against him were an insult.
SaharaReporters had reported that the defamation and cyber-stalking suit filed against the human rights activist by the FCT Commissioner of Police on behalf of Senator Ned Nwoko stalled on Thursday, May 2, 2024 following the failure of the police to serve the 3rd defendant (SaharaReporters Media Group Incorporated) a hearing notice.
The matter which was slated for arraignment before Justice Nwite could not go on as scheduled following the legal fireworks arising from the inability of the police to serve a hearing notice on the 3rd defendant.
At the hearing, Temokun objected to the move by the court to proceed with the trial and force his client to take pleas for 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants.
Temokun argued that it was improper for the court to impose the representative of the 3rd defendant on his client just as he insisted that the 1st defendant had resigned from the SaharaReporters Media Group Incorporated and could not represent other defendants in the case.
He disagreed with the court’s position that Sowore would represent SaharaReporters Media Group in the case. He added that his client travelled to Nigeria from the United States to attend his trial.
Addressing the court on the matter, Sowore said, “There is a registered certificate of SaharaReporters in the US.”
The former African Action Congress presidential candidate noted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission did not bring Binance’s founder (Changpeng Zhao) to the court but its representatives.
“EFCC did not bring Binance, it brought a representative of Binance that they arrested. If they wanted to try Binance in front of you, you would have requested that hearing notice should be given to Binance. You have a similar case. Is it because we are Nigerians that they now abuse us?” he asked.
“I set up a company, there is no lie about it and the company runs today independent of me,” he added.
He urged the judge not to allow injustice in his court, saying for a proper trial to take place, the police should serve a hearing notice on the Respondents.
“SaharaReporters has a management of which I’m no longer part. I told you this; I told you that when I got to the US, I would be able to give you documents but the DSS seized my phones.
“I’m here to represent myself having spent over $4,000 to travel back because I promised you on my honour and the honour of this court that I am not going to run away. That is why I take exception to him (police prosecutor) saying that I’m evading service,” he said.
