The Nigerian Bar Association, through its President Mazi Afam Osigwe SAN, has issued an official statement condemning the conduct of activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore at the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, March 24, revealing for the first time the full details of the incident and expressing solidarity with Senior Advocate Musibau Adetunbi SAN, who confronted Sowore over the conduct.
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The NBA’s statement paints a significantly more detailed picture of the incident than had previously emerged, disclosing that Sowore entered the courtroom with individuals carrying camera phones and recording equipment, set up what appeared to be preparations for a press conference inside the courtroom, had members of his team fan his face and tidy his appearance as if preparing for a broadcast, moved into the inner bar — an area traditionally reserved for lawyers — sat on one of the tables, and began addressing cameras on what he described as “a range of national issues.”
The statement adds that Sowore’s case was not listed for hearing on the day in question, and he was not accompanied by any legal practitioner during the episode.
The NBA statement provided the most comprehensive account yet of the events that led to the confrontation.
“Mr. Sowore entered the courtroom accompanied by a number of individuals carrying camera phones and recording equipment. He proceeded to set up what appeared to be preparations for a press conference within the courtroom itself,” the NBA stated.
“Members of his team attended to him, fanning his face and tidying his appearance in a manner akin to a broadcast setting,” the statement continued.
The NBA then described Sowore moving beyond the public gallery into a restricted area.
“He subsequently moved into the inner bar, sat on one of the tables, and, as cameras were directed at him, began addressing what he described as ‘a range of national issues,'” the statement read.
The inner bar is the section of the courtroom traditionally reserved for legal practitioners — barristers and solicitors who are robed and appearing in matters before the court. For a non-lawyer to enter this area, sit on the lawyers’ tables, and use it as a platform for a press briefing represents a breach of courtroom convention that the NBA characterised as a grave affront.
The NBA noted that the development led to tension within the courtroom and a confrontation with Adetunbi SAN, who objected to the conduct and insisted on maintaining courtroom decorum.
The NBA grounded its condemnation in the fundamental purpose and character of courtrooms in a constitutional democracy.
“Courtrooms in a constitutional democracy are open to the public not as arenas for performance, but as sanctuaries for the orderly administration of justice. Their openness promotes transparency and public confidence, yet it also imposes a duty of restraint on all who enter,” Osigwe SAN stated.
“Access to the courtroom is therefore a right exercised within boundaries of decorum, discipline, and respect for judicial authority. The courtroom exists solely for adjudication, and its openness cannot be stretched to permit activities unrelated to that purpose,” the NBA President added.
Significantly, the NBA statement addressed the argument raised by Sowore during the confrontation — that since the judge had not yet taken the bench, he was free to conduct media interactions inside the courtroom.
The NBA rejected this argument explicitly, stating that the prohibition on using the courtroom as a media platform applies regardless of whether the court is in session.
“Public access to the courts does not extend to converting the courtroom into a platform for press briefings or actions capable of undermining the dignity and authority of the court, whether or not the court is in session,” Osigwe SAN declared.
This position goes beyond the earlier analysis by Daudu SAN, who had acknowledged that Sowore committed no offence known to law but described his conduct as improper. The NBA’s statement frames the conduct as not merely improper but as a “grave affront to the rule of law.”
The NBA expressed explicit solidarity with Adetunbi SAN and all lawyers who intervened to maintain courtroom decorum during the incident.
“The NBA therefore condemns Mr. Sowore’s disruption of the courtroom environment and expresses solidarity with Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, and all lawyers who insisted on maintaining decorum,” the statement read.
This endorsement effectively settles, from the NBA’s institutional perspective, the question of whether Adetunbi SAN was justified in confronting Sowore. While Sowore had accused the SAN of attempting to intimidate him, the NBA has now officially characterised Adetunbi’s intervention as a defence of courtroom order that deserves the Association’s backing.
The NBA called on court authorities to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“We also call on court authorities to ensure that courtrooms remain protected spaces for the orderly administration of justice and free from acts capable of intimidating legal practitioners in the discharge of their professional duties,” the statement read.
This call suggests the NBA wants formal measures — potentially including security protocols or judicial directives — to prevent courtrooms from being used for media events or other non-adjudicatory purposes.
Osigwe SAN concluded with a forceful declaration of the NBA’s position on the sanctity of courtroom proceedings.
“The NBA will continue to defend the dignity of the legal profession and the sanctity of judicial proceedings. The courtroom must remain a place of order, respect, disciplined advocacy, and responsible public access — not spectacle, confrontation, or disorder,” the NBA President stated.
The NBA’s statement represents a clear institutional position on the incident but is unlikely to end the public debate.
Sowore’s supporters have argued that the activist was exercising his constitutional right to freedom of expression and that no written rule prohibits media interactions inside a courtroom when the court is not in session. They point out that Sowore was a defendant in a case before the court and had every right to be on the premises.
Former NHRC Chairman Professor Chidi Odinkalu had praised Sowore for “providing basic schooling to people who should know better.”
However, the NBA’s revelation that Sowore entered the inner bar — an area reserved for lawyers — sat on a lawyers’ table, and set up what amounted to a broadcast studio with camera crew and personal attendants provides context that may shift public opinion. The conduct described goes beyond a casual press interaction and appears to constitute a deliberate use of the courtroom as a media venue.
The NBA’s condemnation of Sowore’s courtroom conduct comes in the same period when the Association condemned Justice Mohammed Umar for ordering Sowore’s lawyer, Marshall Abubakar, to kneel in the same court — and received solidarity from the Uganda Law Society over that incident.
The juxtaposition highlights the complexity of the Sowore saga at the Federal High Court: the NBA has simultaneously defended his lawyer’s rights against judicial overreach while condemning Sowore’s own conduct as a threat to courtroom dignity.
The cyberbullying trial remains adjourned to April 13, 2026, for a no-case submission.
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