Judge's Order to Lawyer Raises Human Rights Concerns

On January 16, during a court session at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Judge Abubakar Umar allegedly ordered lawyer Mr. Marshal Abubakar to kneel in open court amidst a heated argument. This action has been criticized as a violation of the fundamental right to human dignity as guaranteed by Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The order was deemed undignified and a breach of judicial decorum, potentially compromising the fairness of the proceedings. In response, Mr. Sowore's legal team promptly filed an application requesting Judge Umar's recusal from the case and sought for the matter to be referred to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge to be heard afresh.

The legal team argued that anything less would leave a permanent stain on the integrity of the judicial process.