Supporters of the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, on Wednesday allegedly attacked journalists and destroyed the vehicle of a LEADERSHIP newspaper correspondent during a confrontation outside the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The supporters, said to number in their hundreds, reportedly shattered the windscreen of a Toyota Venza belonging to Olakunle Olasanmi, a journalist covering proceedings at the court.
The incident occurred as Sowore appeared before Justice Mohammed Umar over a cyberbullying charge instituted against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Sowore is accused of making derogatory statements against President Bola Tinubu, including allegedly describing the President as a criminal. He has, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to accounts from journalists at the scene, Olasanmi arrived at the court premises at about 11am to cover the day’s proceedings but could not find a parking space within the complex.
He subsequently drove towards the extension of the court’s car park outside the premises.
However, as he attempted to make a left turn at the court gate, Sowore’s supporters reportedly surrounded his vehicle and obstructed his movement.
Olasanmi was said to have pleaded with the crowd to clear the road and allow him access to the parking area, but some of the supporters allegedly descended on his vehicle and smashed its windscreen.
After the incident, Olasanmi reportedly approached Sowore when the AAC chieftain emerged from the courtroom. Sowore was said to have promised to take responsibility for the damage, but allegedly reneged on the commitment a few hours later.
Other journalists covering the proceedings also recounted their experiences with Sowore’s supporters, raising concerns over what they described as repeated harassment and intimidation at the court.
A former Chairman of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC), Kayode Lawal, was among the first to alert colleagues to the attack.
In a message to journalists, Lawal said: “Sowore’s supporters went on rampage this morning, smashing the windscreen of the Toyota Venza of our Chairman, Mr Kunle Olasanmi, outside the gate of the Federal High Court.”
Meanwhile, Celestina Iria, a journalist with TVC News, alleged that she had an earlier confrontation with Sowore over his conduct towards the station’s coverage of the court proceedings.
She recalled an incident during an earlier sitting when Sowore allegedly accused her cameraman of having prior knowledge of the court’s ruling on his application seeking the judge’s recusal from the case.
According to Iria, her cameraman had entered the courtroom to take photographs when Sowore allegedly suggested that TVC had obtained information about the ruling beforehand.
She further alleged that Sowore subsequently uploaded video clips of the incident on his X account.
Iria also recounted another confrontation on Monday, alleging that Sowore accused her cameraman of pretending to record him despite the camera lens being closed.
She said the incident was also recorded and circulated online.
Similarly, Ikechukwu Nnochirim of Vanguard newspaper said he encountered difficulties accessing the court premises on Wednesday because of the large crowd of Sowore’s supporters.
He disclosed that he had to repeatedly sound his vehicle’s horn before the protesters eventually made way for him.
Expressing concern over the situation, Nnochirim called for restrictions on protests around the court whenever Sowore’s case comes up.
“I think it is about time they stop them from protesting in front of the court whenever the case is going on! I kept honking and honking before they made way for me to pass,” he said.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety of journalists covering court proceedings and the conduct of political supporters around judicial premises.