**Court Drama in Abuja: Judge Orders Sowore's Lawyer to Kneel Down** A heated exchange occurred in the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday between Judge Mohammed Umar and Marshall Abubakar, the lead defence lawyer of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters. The drama started when Mr Abubakar raised his voice during proceedings, drawing the ire of the judge. The case against Mr Sowore, who is being prosecuted by the State Security Service (SSS), has been ongoing since December 2025. Initially, Mr Sowore was charged alongside the parent companies of X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. However, a recent amendment to the charges resulted in the companies being dropped from the case, leaving Mr Sowore as the sole defendant. During Monday's proceedings, Mr Abubakar concluded the cross-examination of the only prosecution witness. However, when the judge asked him when the defence planned to open their case, Mr Abubakar suggested that the court should adjourn until July, citing a no-case submission. This did not go down well with the prosecuting lawyer, Akinlolu Kehinde, who accused the defence of using dilatory tactics to delay proceedings. Enraged by Mr Abubakar's response, Judge Umar ordered him to "come out" of the bar area of the courtroom and kneel down. However, other lawyers quickly intervened, pleading with the judge to forgive Mr Abubakar. The case against Mr Sowore is related to his social media posts, in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as a "criminal". Mr Sowore has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the trial continues. The incident highlights the tense relationship between the defence and prosecution teams in the case, and the challenges that Mr Sowore faces in defending himself against the charges brought by the SSS.