A heated confrontation erupted inside the Federal High Court, Abuja, between activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musibau Adetunbi SAN, after the senior lawyer allegedly attempted to order Sowore out of the courtroom while he waited for his case to be called.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/TheNigerialawyer-WhatsApp-Channel1.jpg")
The exchange, captured on video and now circulating widely on social media, featured sharp words, accusations of intimidation, and a debate over who has the right to be present in a courtroom — adding yet another dramatic chapter to Sowore’s turbulent history with the Nigerian judicial system.
The incident also drew a side confrontation between a woman and another lawyer who exchanged insults, with the woman calling the lawyer “stupid” and the lawyer responding “Madam, you are mad” — further underscoring the tense atmosphere inside the court.
The confrontation began when Adetunbi SAN allegedly told Sowore to leave the courtroom. Sowore refused, insisting he had every right to be present as an accused person waiting for the judge and as a citizen entitled to sit in the public gallery.
“You are telling me, you are ordering me out. I’m not in your living room, sir. We are in a courtroom. Even if we don’t have a case here, we have a right to sit down in the gallery,” Sowore fired back.
When the SAN introduced himself by his title in what Sowore perceived as an attempt to assert authority, the activist was unimpressed.
“You are insulting my intelligence because you are introducing yourself to me as a SAN. So what? I have SANs too that defend me, and they know that when I come to court, I discuss my matter,” Sowore responded.
Sowore escalated the exchange by accusing the senior lawyer of hypocrisy, pointing to instances when DSS operatives took over the Federal High Court gate and blocked litigants from accessing the court.
“They blocked me from coming to attend to my cases. And you have never said a word when the DSS takes over your Federal High Court gate, but you want to come and intimidate Sowore,” the activist stated.
He challenged the SAN directly: “Are you so intolerant of freedom of press and freedom of expression? It’s an abuse of that privilege.”
“So What If You Are A SAN? I Have SANs Too” — Sowore Confronts Senior Advocate Who Ordered Him Out Of Courtroom pic.twitter.com/Rie3b5AeM0
— The Nigeria Lawyer (@Nigerialawyers) March 24, 2026
Throughout the exchange, journalists present attempted to get the Senior Advocate to identify himself. A reporter was heard repeatedly asking: “Senior advocate, can we know your name please? The press would love to know your name. We would love to document this and perhaps argue it in the future.”
The SAN did not directly respond to the identification requests during the heated exchange, though he was later identified as Musibau Adetunbi SAN.
The confrontation also extended to the question of whether Sowore could address the press inside the courtroom while waiting for the judge. Another lawyer intervened, telling Sowore that the courtroom should be respected and that press interactions should take place outside.
Sowore pushed back: “It’s a court of justice. We are discussing justice here. As a participant in the court process, we can discuss the issue of justice in the press.”
The lawyer insisted: “Courtroom must be respected. This place is a chamber of justice.”
Sowore countered: “It is respect for the courtroom to discuss what is happening in the court. And it’s not meant for lawyers alone.”
In a separate but related incident during the same proceedings, a woman and a lawyer exchanged insults outside the courtroom, with the woman calling the lawyer “stupid” and the lawyer responding “Madam, you are mad” — further adding to the chaotic atmosphere surrounding Sowore’s court appearance.
Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, weighed in on the incident on X, offering what appeared to be an endorsement of Sowore’s conduct.
“I like the fact that Sowore is providing basic schooling to people who should know better,” Odinkalu wrote, suggesting that the activist was correct to assert his rights in the face of what Odinkalu characterised as an improper attempt by a senior lawyer to deny him access to the courtroom.
The confrontation occurred against the backdrop of Sowore’s ongoing cyberbullying trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the same case in which Justice Mohammed Umar had previously ordered Sowore’s lead defence counsel, Marshall Abubakar, to kneel down — an incident that drew condemnation from the NBA, the Uganda Law Society, and lawyers across the country.
The latest incident raises fresh questions about the atmosphere in which Sowore’s trial is being conducted, the treatment of defendants and their supporters inside the court, and the broader issue of access to justice and the right of accused persons and members of the public to be present in courtrooms.
Under Nigerian law, court proceedings are generally open to the public, and any citizen has the right to sit in the public gallery of a courtroom unless the court specifically orders otherwise. The right of an accused person to be present in court for their own trial is even more fundamental, protected by both the Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Sowore’s cyberbullying trial is adjourned to April 13, 2026, for the defence to address the court on a no-case submission.
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