ABUJA — Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore on Monday confronted a lawyer at the Federal High Court in Abuja after the legal practitioner allegedly called him a “tout,” sparking a heated exchange that was captured on video and quickly circulated online.
The incident occurred before the start of proceedings in Sowore’s ongoing trial over alleged cybercrime and cyberbullying linked to social media posts in which he described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal.” The matter is being heard by Justice Mohammed Umar.
In the video, Sowore, visibly agitated, confronted the lawyer, identified in reports only as Yakubu, and demanded that he withdraw the alleged insult. “You are very disrespectful. You have no right to call me a tout. You have to withdraw that. I did not insult you. Why would you call me a tout? What have I done to you?” Sowore said.
He continued: “Why did you call me a tout? How can you say I am a tout? For what? For exercising my rights? You have no right to insult me. I don’t have any problem with you.”
Some of Sowore’s supporters joined the confrontation, leading to a shouting match. Reports indicated that a few supporters allegedly threatened to teach the lawyer a “lesson” after the hearing. Court security and other persons present moved to de-escalate the situation as tension rose inside the court premises.
The clash is the latest in a series of courtroom confrontations involving Sowore during the trial. In March 2026, he had a heated exchange with Senior Advocate of Nigeria Musibau Adetunbi after the senior lawyer objected to Sowore granting an interview to journalists inside the courtroom. The Nigerian Bar Association later backed Adetunbi and called for respect for courtroom decorum.
On Monday, the court also ruled against Sowore’s application seeking to compel the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, to appear as a witness in the trial. Justice Umar dismissed the request, marking another legal setback for the activist in the case brought by the DSS.
Videos of the latest confrontation have drawn mixed reactions online, with some criticising Sowore for reacting strongly to the alleged insult while others defended his right to demand respect in a court environment.
The trial continues.
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