Tempers flared at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday as counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Kehinde Akinlolu, and Omoyele Sowore’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), engaged in a heated exchange during proceedings.
Naija News reports that the confrontation followed a disagreement over the defence’s inability to obtain the Certified True Copy of a prosecution witness’s summary report, which it said was required for the continuation of its case.
The trial judge eventually adjourned proceedings until September 20, 2026, after saying the altercation had left him in no frame of mind to continue.
The matter had been scheduled for the continuation of the defence’s case when Olumide-Fusika informed the court that an application for the release of the Certified True Copy of the summary report of a prosecution witness, identified as XYZ, was still pending before the registry.
The senior lawyer said the application was filed on July 22 and that the defence only discovered during Monday’s proceedings that the judge had approved it on July 27.
He, however, said the court registry had yet to release the documents.
According to Olumide-Fusika, the report was central to the questions already prepared for the cross-examination of a subpoenaed witness.
Akinlolu opposed the defence’s request and accused Sowore’s legal team of employing “dilatory tactics” to prolong the trial.
He argued that the defence was not prepared to proceed and urged the court to close its case.
“I submit that this is the appropriate stage for Your Lordship to close the defence’s case, having repeatedly afforded the defence opportunities which it has deliberately and persistently failed to utilise,” Akinlolu said.
The DSS counsel recalled that both sides had agreed at the previous sitting on July 28 that an officer of the security agency would appear to testify for the defence and identify documents it intended to rely upon.