By Ahmed Akanbi
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Tuesday, made a surprise appearance at the Federal High Court in Abuja to lead the prosecution in the cyberstalking trial of Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore.
The AGF’s first personal involvement in the case focused on opposing a defence application seeking to subpoena the Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, to testify.
Sowore is standing trial before Justice Mohammed Umar on charges of criminal defamation, cyberstalking and incitement over social media posts in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as a criminal. The charges were instituted by the DSS.
Leading a prosecution team that included DPPF Mohammed Babadoko Abubakar, represented by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, and lead counsel Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, Fagbemi urged the court to reject the application.
According to the AGF, the application was a delay tactic, arguing that the DSS had already shown cooperation by producing an officer to testify, making it unnecessary to compel the DG to appear.
The defence moved to subpoena the DSS chief after a subpoenaed witness, DSS official Uwem Davies, failed to answer several questions during the July 22 hearing.
Davies, who identified himself as Principal Officer, General Services at DSS, said he authored a January 22, 2025 letter directing Sowore to delete posts on President Tinubu, acting on the DG’s instruction.
However, he admitted he did not author a September 2025 letter to Meta bearing his name, saying it was written by a retired colleague, B. Bamigboye, on behalf of the DSS DG. Davies also said he did not personally investigate Sowore.
Following Davies’ inability to clarify key issues, Sowore’s lead counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, told the court the defence would seek to subpoena the DSS DG, arguing that only Ajayi could provide answers.
The defence also disclosed it had applied to subpoena the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, but efforts to serve him had failed.
Earlier, the prosecution sought to tender the two DSS letters as evidence, but the defence objected. Justice Umar upheld the objection and declined to admit the documents.
Olumide-Fusika said the defence intends to call about 20 witnesses and requested an adjournment to formally file its application for the DSS DG’s subpoena. The matter was adjourned for continuation of hearing.