‘We shall neither kneel nor bow down,’ says Sowore in reaction to Judge ordering his lawyer to kneel in court
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore has reacted sharply to an incident in which a Federal High Court judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, ordered his lead counsel, Marshall Abubakar, to kneel in open court.
The judge issued the order after accusing Abubakar of raising his voice during proceedings. He directed the lawyer to step out and kneel at a designated spot as punishment for what he described as contempt. The directive was rescinded after other lawyers in court appealed for leniency.
In a series of posts on his X account, Sowore expressed relief that Abubakar stood firm and did not comply. He wrote: “How do you expect justice in a country where a judge orders a solid lawyer to kneel down for insisting on cross-examining a fake witness presented by the lawless @officialdssng? I am glad Barrister Marshal D.F. Abubakar stood his ground. He did not flinch. It was the judge, Justice Mohammed G. Umar, who had to adjourn and leave the courtroom. End of case! And you will never hear the Nigeria Bar Association @nigbarassoc do anything about this. They are only concerned about the tinted glass permit! Nigeria is finished!”
Reacting to a statement from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the judge’s order, Sowore criticised its call for restraint. He said: “It was going well until you inserted the paragraph below: ‘The NBA calls for calm and restraint on all sides and urges that any grievances arising from courtroom incidents be addressed through appropriate institutional and disciplinary mechanisms. Where necessary, the Association will engage with relevant authorities to ensure that the rule of law, professional standards, and judicial ethics are upheld.’”
Sowore lampooned the NBA over the call for restraint. He said: “A judge has erred and desecrated the temple of justice, but you are calling for calm and restraint. Too bad!”
In a follow-up post, Sowore declared: “A return to court. We shall neither kneel nor bow to an unjust system. Even in a just system, we must demand dignity and respect.”
