Court Remands Sowore At Kuje Prison, Rejects Recusal Bid After Bail Revocation











Court Remands Sowore At Kuje Prison, Rejects Recusal Bid After Bail Revocation


By Editor 

Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja till Wednesday.


Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued the order on Monday, following the revocation of Sowore’s bail last week.


Earlier, the court dismissed Sowore’s application seeking the recusal of the presiding judge in his trial over remarks in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.”

Sowore has been standing trial on allegations brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) linked to those public statements, charges he has consistently denied.

Earlier in June, Sowore renewed calls for Justice Mohammed Umar to step down from the case, saying he was forced to represent himself after members of his legal team declined to continue appearing before the judge, citing persistent hostility and unfair treatment during proceedings.


In a post on X shortly after Monday’s session, Sowore said he had personally filed a fresh recusal application, writing: “Soon after today’s court hearing at the Federal High Court, where I represented myself because my lawyers had decided they could no longer appear before Justice M.G. Umar due to what they described as persistent maltreatment, I personally moved a motion asking the judge, once again, to recuse himself from the case.”

In a video shared after the proceedings, Sowore said attempts to have the case reassigned had also failed. “We had complained to the court that lawyers were mistreated by the judge and we applied to the CJ, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the case file, but they refused,” he said.


He added that his legal team had withdrawn out of fear.

“The lawyer became very afraid that he can no longer represent me in this case. Some of them came earlier but they had to leave. So I had to represent myself,” he said.

Sowore warned that if Justice Umar refused to step aside, the trial would continue in what he described as an increasingly charged atmosphere.

“If he decides not to excuse himself, he will continue the trial. It’s going to be a very interesting trial,” he said.

The case has previously been marked by courtroom tension, with heated exchanges between counsel and the bench leading to adjournments over procedural disputes and defence rights.

Monday’s proceedings were also shadowed by protests outside the court, where a large crowd of Sowore’s supporters gathered to demand the restoration of his bail, which Justice Umar revoked on June 16, 2026, after ruling that Sowore was absent from proceedings.

Sowore had written to the court on June 15 requesting a new hearing date to enable him secure new legal representation.

The protesters called for Justice Umar’s recusal, describing the bail revocation as partisan and accusing the government of persecuting the activist. Chants of “Free Sowore Now!” rang out as demonstrators demanded his immediate release.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Philanthropist Offers Scholarship To Secondary School Students In Ekiti

Image
Philanthropist Offers Scholarship To Secondary School Students In Ekiti  By Editor  A philanthropist, Dr Oluwadare Owolabi, has offered scholarships for students across some secondary schools in Ekiti State. The scholarships of N100,000 each were offered to the outstanding students in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agricultural Science, Economics and Mathematics subjects across three schools. No fewer than 17 students from Igogo Commercial High School, Igogo-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area (LGA), Ayede Grammar School, Ayede-Ekiti, in Oye LGA and Odo Oro High School, Odo Oro Ekiti in Ikole LGA, benefited from the annual scholarship award. Owolabi while addressing the students and teachers at the ceremony on Thursday noted that the gesture was his own way of assisting the students, especially the indigents, in pursuing their education careers without any form of hindrance. He explained that the gesture would go a long way to encourage the students towards adding valu...
Read more

Gunmen Abducts 18 Passengers In Benin-Auchi Highway, 16 Rescued

Image
Gunmen Abducts 18 Passengers  In Benin-Auchi Highway, 16 Rescued Iduozee Efe Paul, Benin  Wonder they say shall not cease, as at least 18 passengers travelling on the Benin-Auchi highway in Edo State were abducted by gunmen on Friday, 5th 2025. The victims were said to be heading to Abuja in a newly launched Edo Line bus when armed men stopped the vehicle and forced them into the bush. Police operatives later arrived at the scene after the attack. A video from the incident, which has gone viral on social media, showed vehicles lined up on both sides of the highway as panic spread among commuters. Confirming the incident on Saturday, Edo State police spokesperson, Moses Iyamu, said 16 of the kidnapped passengers had been rescued. “Sixteen of these passengers have been rescued safely while the rescue operation by Edo State Police in synergy with vigilantes and hunters continues,” Iyamu said. He added that the police have intensified a search-and-rescue mission to fre...
Read more

Bishop Of Auchi, Dunia Blames Edo Police For Death Of Seminarian

Image
Bishop Of Auchi, Dunia Blames Edo Police For Death Of Seminarian  By Editor  The Catholic Bishop of Auchi Diocese, Most Rev. Gabriel Dunia has described as false a report which quoted him as blaming Edo State Government for not doing enough to effect the release of the abducted priest, Rev. Philip Ekweli and a seminarian, Andrew Peter, 21, who was reportedly murdered. The priest was released at about 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 13, 2025, close to Amughe village, a few kilometres from Okpekpe town, North Ibie in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, ending ten days of captivity in the hands of his abductors. He is now receiving appropriate medical attention. Speaking on his mobile phone from his base in Auchi, Bishop Dunia said that the state government did it very best in handling the crisis situation but however had harsh words for men of the Edo State Police Command, who he accused of bungling the rescue efforts. He said: "I never criticized Edo State ...
Read more