Human rights activist and AAC Presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore will spend the next few days at Kuje Correctional Centre after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his remand on Monday.
Justice Mohammed Umar gave the order, barely a week after revoking Sowore’s bail. He is to remain in custody until Wednesday.
The drama played out in Court after Justice Umar threw out an application filed by Sowore asking him to recuse himself from the case. Sowore is being prosecuted by the Department of State Services (DSS) over public comments in which he allegedly called President Bola Tinubu a criminal; a claim Sowore strongly denies.
Standing in for himself, Sowore told the Court his lawyers had pulled out of the case. He said they were no longer willing to appear before Justice Umar, citing what they called persistent unfair treatment and hostility from the bench.
“My lawyers became afraid to represent me,” Sowore said. “That’s why I had to file this application myself.”
He also revealed that a formal request to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to reassign the case to another judge was turned down.
With no legal team in place, Sowore argued his own motion for the Judge to step aside. Justice Umar dismissed it and ordered him remanded instead.
The case returns to Court on Wednesday.