Cyberbullying Tinubu: Sowore’s no-case submission knows fate, May 8

By Vivian Okejeme

Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja will on May 8, rule on the no-case submission made by an activist, Omoyele Sowore in the Cyberbullying President Bola Tinubu charge.

The Department of the State Service(DSS), is prosecuting Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, an online media platform for allegedly calling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a “criminal” in his Twitter handle.

The court fixed the date on Monday, after parties in the matter adopted their final written arguments on the no-case submission filed by Sowore.

While adopting the processes filed along with the no case submission, counsel to Sowore, Marshall Abubakar, told the court that, the prosecution failed to link the defendant with the alleged offences.

He prayed the court should dismiss the charge, discharge and acquit Sowore from the two-count cyberbullying charge on the ground that prima facie case was not made against him.

Further in his argument, Marshall argued that upon the review of the evidence led by the prosecution so far, the complainant failed to link his client with the charges filed against him for allegedly calling the President a “Criminal”.

The defence submitted that the prosecution failed to call vital witness which he said, was fatal to the case of the prosecution.

Therefore, he prayed the court to grant the no-case submission on the main ground that Sowore was not linked to the two-count charge preferred against him.

The prosecution, while opposing the no-case submission said, it filed a response on April 23 in urging the court to refuse the request of Sowore in the no-case application.

The DSS through its Counsel, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, urged the court to order Sowore to enter his defense if he has it on the ground that DSS through its witnesses had established a prima facie case against the defendant.

Meantime, the matter has been adjourned to May 8, for ruling on the no-case submission.