Sowore Withdraws Subpoena Request in Defamation Trial

On Tuesday, Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), withdrew his application to subpoena Oluwatosin Ajayi, the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), in his ongoing alleged criminal defamation trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Sowore's decision followed a challenge from the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who argued that Ajayi was not the appropriate witness, as the document in question—a letter directing Sowore to remove a Facebook post—was neither written nor signed by him.

Fagbemi noted that the letter had already been admitted into evidence twice and that Uwen Davis, the letter's author, had testified on July 22. Sowore's counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), questioned the Attorney General's involvement, asserting that the defense should have been notified of his participation.

Despite this, Fagbemi pressed for the subpoena to be vacated, leading to Sowore's eventual withdrawal of the request.