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In Omoyele Sowore's criminal defamation trial in Abuja, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi joined the DSS prosecution team.
Judge Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court was asked by Lateef Fagbemi to dismiss a subpoena that called Oluwatisin Ajayi, the Director-General of the DSS, as a defense witness.
Lateef Fagbemi claimed that Ajayi's request for an appearance was intended to postpone the case and that DSS had previously cooperated by permitting a service official to testify earlier.
In the continuing trial of Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi appeared in court on Tuesday as a member of the prosecution team.
The Department of State Services (DSS) is bringing criminal defamation charges against Sowore in front of Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
According to KohlorsMedia, the former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate is being prosecuted for allegedly calling President Bola Tinubu "a criminal" in a social media post.
Sowore's Facebook and 𝕏 accounts are said to have made the message.
The DSS accused Sowore of inciting, cyberstalking, and criminal defamation after the publishing.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, and Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, were among the prosecution's attorneys under Fagbemi's leadership throughout Tuesday's sessions.
A letter subpoenaing Oluwatisin Ajayi, the Director-General of the DSS, to attend and testify as a defense witness was recommended to be rejected by the court by the AGF.
Fagbemi contended that since the security organization had previously assisted the defense during the trials, the DSS Director-General did not need to testify.
The minister said that during the last postponed hearing, the DSS had been responsive enough to permit the second defense witness, a service official, to testify.
He said that the desire for Ajayi to personally present was an effort to postpone the case's resolution.
As a result, Fagbemi requested that the court reject the subpoenaed letter requesting the DSS Director-General's appearance.
As the trial progresses, the court is anticipated to take the prosecution's objection into consideration.
Sowore is a well-known publisher and activist who has frequently been involved in court disputes over his actions and public remarks. His supporters have continued to characterize his prosecution as an effort to stifle his right to free speech.
It is anticipated that the Federal High Court in Abuja would continue to hear arguments from the prosecution and defense.
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