A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has rejected two sets of documents presented by politician and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, in his ongoing cyberstalking trial. Justice Mohammed Garba Umar ruled on Wednesday that the documents could not be admitted at this stage of the proceedings. Sowore is facing charges brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) over alleged false claims made against President Bola Tinubu on social media.

The court declined an oral request by Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, to tender several printed publications during cross-examination of a prosecution witness. The judge agreed with the prosecution that such documents could only be introduced during the defence stage. He ruled that the witness being questioned had no knowledge of the publications, making it improper to tender them through him.

Justice Umar also rejected another set of documents which the defence claimed showed past statements allegedly made by President Tinubu against former leaders. The judge maintained that the same legal principle applied and marked the documents as rejected. During proceedings, the court also raised concerns over allegations that parts of the trial had been livestreamed, warning that such actions could amount to contempt of court.

Meanwhile, a DSS official testifying as a prosecution witness denied knowledge of several corruption-related claims raised by the defence, including past arrests and dismissals by anti-graft agencies. After extended cross-examination, the judge granted the defence one final opportunity to conclude questioning, stressing fairness to all parties. The case was adjourned to March 5 for continuation.