The judge said his conscience will never be free to proceed with the case because Sowore’s online news medium, SaharaReporters, had accused him twice in two publications of taking bribe in the case involving a former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, in 2016 and 2019.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has withdrawn from hearing of the case of enforcement of fundamental human rights filed by pro-democracy campaigner and journalist, Omoyele Sowore.
The judge said his conscience will never be free to proceed with the case because Sowore’s online news medium, SaharaReporters, had accused him twice in two publications of taking bribe in the case involving a former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, in 2016 and 2019.
He said that he would not allow whatever decision he may have taken on the matter to be a subject of interpretation in public space.
Mohammed said that he would return the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment.
Sowore had on December 17, 2019 filed an application on enforcement of fundamental rights following his unlawful rearrest by operatives of Department of State Services inside the Abuja court on December 6.
This came less than 24 hours after he was released on bail after spending 125 days in detention despite two court orders directing the DSS to free during that period.
He is yet to be told the reason for his arrest a second time.