Lateef Fagbemi, the attorney general of the federation, on Tuesday appeared for the prosecution in the trial of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters.

Mr Sowore is being prosecuted by the State Security Service for alleged criminal defamation before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Mr Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), was alleged to have made false claims against President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post on X and Facebook.

In response, the SSS charged him with criminal defamation, cyberstalking, and incitement.

On Tuesday, Mr Fagbemi led a team of lawyers, including the director of public prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, and Akinlolu Kehinde, in the trial. He urged the court to reject Mr Sowore’s subpoenaed letter, asking the SSS chief, Oluwatosin Ajayi, to testify in his defence.

The AGF, who said the SSS had been responsive enough to allow the second defence witness (DW-2), an official from the service, to give testimony on the last adjourned date, said the application for Mr Ajayi to testify was to delay the proceedings.

Details shortly…

(NAN)