Justice Musa Suleiman Liman of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has denied the request of civil rights activist Omoyele Sowore for the temporary release of his passport, preventing him from travelling abroad to see his family and undergo a routine medical check-up.
Ruling on the application filed by Sowore’s lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, on Tuesday, the judge took an unusually prosecutorial stance during the hearing.
He argued that Sowore failed to convince the court, citing the activist’s omission of his wife and children’s names in the application.
Justice Liman further stated that the court was not convinced Sowore had a family, casting doubt on the justification for releasing his passport for travel to the United States.
During the proceedings, Justice Liman repeatedly contradicted himself, acknowledging that the trial had not yet begun and that the defendant was legally entitled to his freedom.
While addressing concerns he personally raised against the application, the judge argued that the e-ticket submitted as evidence lacked the airline’s name and dismissed the airline’s email confirmation as resembling a bulk SMS rather than a formal communication.
On Monday, March 3, 2025, the federal judge openly displayed bias and sympathy toward the prosecution, showing a clear interest in denying the activist’s request for the temporary release of his passport.
The judge firmly rejected the arguments presented by the activist and even went as far as threatening to jail Sowore for requesting permission to speak in court to clarify details regarding the e-ticket and email message.
Justice Liman is the presiding judge in the defamation case filed by Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over Sowore’s reference to him as an “Illegal IGP.”
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, Sowore said he was not surprised by the ruling, stating that he had anticipated it. He added that the justice system in the country has been hijacked by criminals.
He said, “Just as we have predicted, the judge has done his worst; he has denied me the passport they have all along targeted. There is nothing strange about the judge’s decision today.
“We have known all along that they are all in bed together to deny me the right of freedom of movement and opportunity to freely exercise my rights as a citizen of Nigeria which they have done since my university days when I was expelled by the military twice and the persecution has not stopped.
“This is just the time we should all fight for the country in which citizens are not denied their rights either by judicial or administrative procedure or in criminal justice. But the truth is that there is no justice system in this country. It is criminals that have hijacked our justice system and that is the truth.”
“It is not a setback in anyway,” Sowore added.
SaharaReporters reported on Monday that during the day’s hearing, the federal judge turned hostile toward Sowore, threatening to jail him for speaking in the courtroom while embarking on a cynical repudiation of his reasons for seeking the temporary release of his passport.
Justice Liman, who is presiding over the alleged criminal defamation case filed by Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun against Sowore for referring to him as an “Illegal IGP,” appeared to take on the role of the prosecution.
With the Nigerian police arriving in court poorly prepared to defend their opposition to Sowore’s passport request, the judge took it upon himself to challenge the request.
The activist reaffirmed his Nigerian citizenship, stating that he would never flee over what he called the “farcical charges” filed against him by the “Illegal IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.”
He added that he was prepared to go to jail if the court attempted to gag him over his request.
The altercation between Sowore and Justice Liman began when the judge insisted that if Sowore was travelling to visit his wife and children in the U.S., he should have listed their names in his motion to confirm their residence and location.
In response, Sowore criticised the judge, accusing him of reducing the court to a platform for frivolous grandstanding rather than a place committed to delivering justice.
Justice Liman, however, continued to question the authenticity of the documents attached to Sowore’s application, stating that they did not sufficiently prove he had family in the U.S.
Sowore made these remarks on Monday in Abuja during the hearing of a motion filed by his lawyer, Abubakar Marshal, requesting the temporary release of his passport.
The request was to allow him to travel to the US to visit his family and undergo a routine medical check-up.
Speaking from the defendant’s box, Sowore observed how the judge continuously dismissed the evidence attached to his application.
Justice Liman systematically rejected all the reasons presented by Sowore, insisting they were not tenable and convincing.
He particularly argued that Sowore’s affidavits failed to mention the names of his wife and children, which he claimed was necessary to persuade the court.
The judge also questioned the validity of Sowore’s flight booking email, claiming it was not in a format he recognised. Initially, he even lied that Sowore’s name was not on the ticket, only to backtrack when it was pointed out to him.
He then shifted focus, claiming that the airline’s name was missing. When informed that it was a U.S. carrier, United Airlines, he misinterpreted “UNITED POLARIS” on the ticket, suggesting it was not from the airline.
Sowore then enlightened the judge that “United Polaris” referred to the airline’s business class seating and that the ticket was an official e-ticket issued by the airline.
This followed a claim by the police lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed, who stated that he had asked a friend at Abuja airport about the ticket and was told it was for a trip to Uganda, not the U.S.
However, once it became clear to Justice Liman that the ticket was indeed for a U.S. trip, he shifted his focus, insisting that Sowore must provide a comprehensive medical history and a letter from his doctor in the U.S. to justify his request.
In response, Sowore’s lead attorney, Abubakar Marshal of Falana and Falana’s Chambers, argued that a medical report was unnecessary since Sowore was not sick and was not seeking medical treatment.
He explained that what had been submitted as evidence was a text message from Sowore’s primary care team at Columbia University, requesting him to schedule a routine medical visit upon his arrival in the U.S.
At that point, Sowore asked Justice Liman for further clarification on the matter, but the judge refused, stating that he could not speak for himself.
Sowore said, “My Lord, of course, I could speak for myself. I am a citizen of this country, and I’m the one on trial before you and if I cannot get justice from the court then the court can as well throw me into jail.
“I’m speaking to guide the court; Lagos has an airport code (LOS) and Washington Dulles Airport – my point of first arrival – has an airport code (IAD). How could you then believe the police lawyer that this ticket before you is for going to Uganda? Do you think I can lie to you?
“For your information, I will not run away from my country.”
Further attempts by Justice Liman to silence Sowore did not seem to faze the activist.
However, the judge eventually stated that the court held no personal grudge against anyone but was only interested in documents he could clearly understand.
In his submission, Abubakar Marshal argued that his client had a legal right to see his wife and children, which was one of the key reasons for requesting the release of his passport.
He reminded the court that Sowore had previously faced similar politically motivated charges in the same court, which were eventually dismissed.
Given that Sowore did not flee the country in 2019 when facing trumped-up treason-related charges, Marshal asserted that his client would return to Nigeria to continue his trial.
He urged the court to grant the request, emphasising that Sowore had provided valid reasons to justify it.
However, the prosecution opposed the motion, claiming—without evidence—that the message from Sowore’s doctor was a bulk SMS rather than a formal email.
Source: SaharaReporters
