A dramatic confrontation unfolded in a courtroom on Tuesday as Omoyele Sowore engaged in a heated exchange with a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) over his attempt to address journalists inside the courtroom before proceedings began.
The incident occurred while the court was yet to sit, as journalists approached Sowore for comments on a matter involving him. In response, he stood up to grant a press briefing within the courtroom, a move that immediately drew objections from the senior lawyer present.
The SAN insisted that the courtroom was not an appropriate venue for media engagements, stressing the need to preserve the sanctity and decorum of the court. “It’s better done outside. The courtroom must be respected… you don’t do that in the courtroom,” the senior lawyer argued, citing long-standing legal tradition and professional conduct.
However, Sowore resisted the objection, arguing that no law expressly prohibits a litigant from speaking to the press while waiting for a judge to take the bench. “You cannot tell me as a citizen of Nigeria… that I cannot address the media while I’m waiting for the judge,” he said, insisting on his right to speak on matters affecting him.
A viral video showed the intense exchange with both men repeatedly interrupting each other while defending their positions. The disagreement quickly escalated into a broader debate about constitutional rights, courtroom ethics, and the limits of free expression within judicial spaces.
Sowore maintained that, as a party in the case, he had the right to speak on issues concerning his welfare and the justice process. He questioned attempts to restrict him, stating that discussing matters of justice—even within the courtroom—should not be seen as a violation of any law. “There’s no rule that says I cannot discuss my case in the courtroom while waiting. This is a chamber of justice, not for lawyers alone.”
On the other hand, the SAN argued that professional standards and long-standing legal practice prohibit such actions, noting that in his decades of experience, he had never witnessed a press conference conducted inside a courtroom. He warned that such conduct could undermine respect for the judiciary. “I have practiced for close to three decades; I have never seen it… a press conference in the courtroom,” he said, warning that such actions could undermine respect for the judiciary.
The confrontation also took a wider turn when Sowore criticised perceived inconsistencies in enforcing courtroom rules, referencing security restrictions by the Department of State Services (DSS) at court premises, which he claimed often go unchallenged by legal practitioners. “When the DSS takes over the court gate, you say nothing… but you want to come and intimidate me?” he said, accusing the legal establishment of selective outrage.
