The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has condemned the conduct of Mr. Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
Sowore reportedly entered the courtroom accompanied by several individuals carrying camera phones and recording equipment. He proceeded to set up what appeared to be preparations for a press conference within the courtroom itself. Members of his team attended to him, fanning his face and adjusting his appearance in a manner resembling a broadcast setting.
He then moved into the inner bar, sat on a table, and, with cameras directed at him, began addressing what he described as “a range of national issues.”
Reacting to the incident in a statement signed by its President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, the NBA disclosed that Sowore’s case was not scheduled for hearing, and he was not accompanied by any legal practitioner during this episode.
The Association noted that this conduct created tension in the courtroom and led to a confrontation with Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musibau Adetunbi, who objected the behaviour and insisted on maintaining courtroom decorum.
Osigwe explained that courtrooms in a constitutional democracy are open to the public not as performance arenas, but as sanctuaries for the orderly administration of justice. “Their openness promotes transparency and public confidence, yet it also imposes a duty of restraint on all who enter. Access to the courtroom is therefore a right exercised within boundaries of decorum, discipline, and respect for judicial authority,” he said.
He clarified that the courtroom exists solely for adjudication and that its openness cannot be stretched to allow activities unrelated to that purpose.
Osigwe stressed that any conduct that undermines the dignity of the court, intimidates legal practitioners, or disrupts proceedings constitutes a serious affront to the rule of law.
He described the use of a courtroom as a venue for publicity, advocacy theatrics, or confrontation as unacceptable and inconsistent with the discipline required in judicial proceedings.
He affirmed that while every Nigerian, including Sowore, is entitled to attend and observe court proceedings, such right must be exercised responsibly and with due regard to courtroom decorum.
Osigwe added that public access does not extend to turning the courtroom into a platform for press briefings or actions that could undermine the court’s dignity and authority, whether or not the court is in session.
“The NBA therefore condemns Mr. Sowore’s disruption of the courtroom environment and expresses solidarity with Musibau Adetunbi, SAN, and all lawyers who insisted on maintaining decorum.
“We also call on court authorities to ensure that courtrooms remain protected spaces for the orderly administration of justice and free from acts capable of intimidating legal practitioners in the discharge of their professional duties,” the Association said.
The NBA assured that it will continue to defend the dignity of the legal profession and the sanctity of judicial proceedings, reiterating that the courtroom must remain a place of order, respect, disciplined advocacy, and responsible public access, not spectacle, confrontation, or disorder.
