DSS asks court to quash Sowore subpoena for its lead counsel

The Department of State Services asked a Federal High Court in Abuja on November 3 to set aside a subpoena requiring its lead counsel, Akinlolu Kehinde, to testify for Omoyele Sowore in his cyberbullying trial. The judge heard arguments from both sides and scheduled a ruling on November 9, 2026. Sowore, who is defending a charge of allegedly cyberbullying President Bola Tinubu, had subpoenaed Kehinde as a defence witness. The DSS, through its lawyer Kenneth CyrilIta, asked Justice Mohammed Garba Umar to overturn the subpoena and direct Sowore to continue his defence without calling the agency’s lead counsel. CyrilIta argued that the subpoena was a delay tactic, was issued in bad faith and sought evidence irrelevant to the charge. He also argued that allowing a lawyer to testify in the same matter in which he represents a party would interfere with the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s choice of legal representation. The DSS further relied on Section 192 of the Evidence Act, arguing that legal practitioners cannot disclose communications made during their professional engagement without the client’s consent. It also contended that evidence concerning whether the complainant would...