The Federal High Court, Abuja Division, on Tuesday revoked a bail granted to the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, over his absence in court for his trial.

Justice Mohammed Umar, in a ruling on an oral application made by the lawyer to the State Security Service (SSS), Akinkolu Kehinde, SAN, also issued a bench warrant for his arrest.

The SSS is prosecuting Mr Sowore for allegedly making false claims against the person of President Bola Tinubu by referring to him as “a criminal” in a post he made on his “X” and Facebook accounts.

Mr Umar on June 5 fixed June 16 for ruling on the application by Mr Sowore, through his lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, seeking the judge’s recusal from the case.

Mr Sowore had also, on the last adjourned date, opted to appear for himself in the case pending when he was able to reconstitute another legal team.

However, when the case was called on Tuesday, Mr Sowore was not in court and no lawyer appeared for him.

Mr Kehinde then informed the court that the matter was set down for ruling in respect of the defendant’s application.

The lawyer said that despite the fact that Mr Sowore was in court on Monday and the registrar informed parties that the matter would be coming up today, he was not in court for reasons best known to him.

He said Mr Sowore, instead, sent a letter asking for an adjournment.

“I will be applying for a bench warrant to be issued against the defendant also for the revocation of his bail. I have seen a letter dated June 15th, 2026. The letter is of no moment. There is no reason advanced as to why he is not in court today. It is a criminal trial and must be given all the seriousness it deserves,” he said.

Mr Umar, in his ruling, agreed that he directed the registrar of the court to inform all parties in the cases scheduled for yesterday, including Sowore’s matter, that all the cases would be heard today.

He said this was due to the fact that the court had just moved to another location on the 4th floor of the high-rise building and not yet composed of the clerical staff.

“The defendant is not in court today but sent a letter dated 15th of June, 2026. The defendant applied that the matter that is for ruling be set down for delivery on either the 2nd, 3rd, 14th, 15th, or 17th of July or September 8th, 9th, or 10th or any date subsequently as the court may deem convenient.

“There is no reason as to why the adjournment should be made in favour of the defendant. The defendant is also very much aware that this matter has been ordered to be heard day by day as enjoined by Section 39(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. The prosecution counsel, A. T. Kehinde, SAN, applied that the bail of the defendant be revoked and a bench warrant be issued,” the judge said.

Mr Umar, therefore, said that he was inclined to grant the prosecution’s application.

According to him, the defendant did not take the trial in this court seriously, as it has reached a defence stage since the 16th of March, 2026.

“The defendant has been delaying this case through one tactic or the other, as all adjournments were at the instance of the defendant. The defendant who is on bail is in clear disobedience of the order of this court to appear today without any reason. Therefore, the bail of the defendant is hereby revoked and a bench warrant is hereby ordered to be issued against the defendant to compel him to appear in court on the next adjourned date,” the judge ruled.

He adjourned the matter until June 22 for ruling.

Mr Sowore on June 5 indicated his readiness to represent himself in court pending reconstitution of a new legal team.

He had told the judge that his lawyer, Mr Abubakar and his team, who were not in court on that same day, told him that they would no longer appear in court because of the humiliation they suffered before the court.

(NAN)