Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, personally took charge of the prosecution during Omoyele Sowore’s trial on Tuesday. Sowore, who publishes Sahara Reporters and ran as the African Action Congress presidential candidate, faces charges brought by the Department of State Services before Justice Mohammed Umar at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The legal proceedings stem from accusations that Sowore committed criminal defamation, cyberstalking, and incitement. These charges followed social media posts on X and Facebook where Sowore allegedly labeled President Bola Tinubu a criminal. During the session, Fagbemi led a legal team that included Rotimi Oyedepo and Akinlolu Kehinde.
Fagbemi formally requested that the court deny a subpoena seeking to compel DSS Director-General Oluwatisin Ajayi to appear as a defense witness. The Attorney-General argued that the defense application served only to hinder the trial process, noting that the DSS had already facilitated testimony from another agency official during the previous hearing.
