The publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja for time to apply for subpoenas compelling the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, to testify in his ongoing trial.
Sowore is facing trial over alleged criminal defamation.
During proceedings on Wednesday, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, counsel to Sowore, told the court that he would apply for a subpoena to compel the DSS director-general to appear after a defence witness, Uwem Davies, was unable to provide answers to some questions during cross-examination.
Olumide-Fusika also informed the court that although he had previously applied for a subpoena to be issued to Onanuga, court bailiffs had been unable to serve him.
Davies, a DSS official who testified under subpoena, told the court that he authored a January 22 letter directing Sowore to delete social media posts concerning President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, the directive came from the DSS director-general because the posts were capable of causing tension.
However, Davies denied writing another letter dated September 7, 2025, addressed to Meta. He told the court that the letter was written by B. Bamigboye, a retired DSS officer.
In a separate ruling, Mohammed Umar, the trial judge, rejected an attempt by the defence to tender an uncertified copy of a court document through Wayne Chikezie Elijah, a former member of Sowore’s legal team.
The prosecution had opposed the document’s admission, arguing that it was neither the original nor a certified true copy.
The judge upheld the objection, ruling that the document could have been altered while in the custody of counsel and was therefore inadmissible.
The court adjourned the case until July 28 for the continuation of the defence’s case.