Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, thwarted a move by Tope Temokun, counsel to online publisher and politician, Omoyele Sowore, to secure a month’s adjournment in a suit he filed against the Department of State Services (DSS) and Meta Platforms Incorporated (owners of Facebook and X).
The judge expressed surprise that Temokun, who as counsel to the plantiff, ordinarily should be interested in a speedy adjudication, would seek a month’s adjournment. He overruled the counsel and fixed May 18 for hearing.
Sowore had last September sued the DSS, Meta Platforms Inc. and X Corp., accusing them of unconstitutional censorship of his social media accounts. He prayed the court to declare as unconstitutional the request by the DSS for Meta to delete his posts calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal.” Listed as defendants were the DSS, its Director General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, as well as Meta.
When the matter came up on Wednesday, Sowore’s counsel, Temokun, drew the court’s attention to the withdrawal and substitution of an earlier application and counter-affidavit by counsel to Meta Incorporated, who were listed as the third defendants.
Responding, counsel to the DSS and their Director General, Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, lamented the tardiness of the Meta legal team. He blamed the Meta team for all the delays encountered in the course of the matter, and expressed a desire for speedy resolution of the matter.
Kehinde told the court that it was in the interest of justice that the matter be quickly dispensed with. He stated that he had fully prepared from the beginning. The senior lawyer begged the court to accord the matter accelerated hearing. He and Sowore’s counsel, however, didn’t object to the withdrawal and substitution of Meta’s application and counter affidavit.
Counsel to the DSS appealed to the court not to make a long adjournment.
At this point, Justice Umar, who noted that courts prioritize matters bordering of the rights of citizens, offered Sowore’s counsel the privilege to choose a date. The counsel proposed June 2, which the judge said wasn’t a close enough date.
Justice Umar held that, against the importance the matter, he, as the presiding judge, has the final say. He directed all the parties to return to his court on May 18.
The same court had on April 2, dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Sowore, against the DSS), its Director General, and Meta Platforms Incorporated (formerly Facebook).
Justice Umar resolved the three issues identified for determination against Sowore, declined to grant any of the reliefs sought, and dismissed Sowore’s suit for lacking in merit. He awarded N1.5 million cost against Sowore.
