Nigerian Judge Orders Lawyer to Kneel in Sowore Trial

A Federal High Court judge in Abuja ordered a defense lawyer to kneel in court on Monday during proceedings in the trial of activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore, sparking widespread condemnation from Nigeria's legal community over the appropriateness of the directive.

The incident occurred before Justice Mohammed Umar during a hearing on charges against Sowore, who faces prosecution by the Department of State Services for allegedly making false claims against President Bola Tinubu in social media posts on his X and Facebook accounts. Sowore, the founder of Sahara Reporters, described Tinubu as a criminal in the posts, according to court documents. He was originally charged on December 5, 2025, alongside the parent companies of X and Facebook, but an amendment removed the companies as defendants and reduced the counts from five to two, leaving Sowore as the sole accused. He pleaded not guilty upon rearraignment in January.

The confrontation unfolded after the prosecution, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria Akinlolu Kehinde, closed its case following the defense's cross-examination of its only witness, a Department of State Services official named Cyril Nosike. The...