FG Pays N200,000 Fine In Sowore’s Trial

The prosecution in the trial of Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare reported to a Federal High Court on Thursday that it has paid the N200, 000 cost awarded against it the previous day by the court on grounds of delay.

At the commencement of proceedings on Thursday, lead prosecution, Aminu Alilu, confirmed that the payment was made to the defendants on Wednesday.

Alilu also applied that the amended two counts charge newly filed against the defendants on February 10, 2020, be substituted with the old charges filed on September 20, 2019.

He said: “As a law-abiding officer of the Attorney-General of the Federation, we have complied with my lord’s order regarding the cost and supply of some materials to the defence.

“We have the evidence of payment before my lord and it can be confirmed by the defence.

“Having said that, we will be applying for the substitution of an earlier charge filed on September 20, 2019, but dated September 19, 2019, to be substituted with two counts amended information dated February 10, 2020, and filed on February 11, 2020.”

Responding, defence lawyer, Abdul Mahmud, confirmed that the N200, 000 cost was paid to the defence through the bank account of a senior member of the team, Mr Olayinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, on Wednesday.

The defendants were later arraigned on the amended two-count charge filed by the prosecution.

The prosecution accused them, in the new charge, of planning a protest tagged #RevolutionNow aimed at toppling the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

The amendment of the charge reduced the original seven counts to two.

The prosecution has discarded the earlier alleged offences of money laundering and cyber-stalking Buhari by abusing him.