Human rights activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore confronted former attorney-general Abubakar Malami at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, mocking his past role in government and suggesting he is now experiencing the flaws of the justice system he once upheld.
In a video circulating online, Sowore is seen addressing Malami directly, telling him that the tables had turned. “You see how it feels now to be persecuted,” he said. “When you were with Buhari at that time, you were bragging. We warned you then that there is failure in the justice system, but you didn’t listen — and now the system is dealing with you.”
Sowore, who has himself faced repeated arrests and prosecutions, punctuated the exchange with a theatrical gesture, offering Malami what he described as a “revolutionary cap” — a symbolic nod to his long-running activism.
Despite the pointed criticism, he struck a note of reluctant acknowledgement. “At least I’m glad that you are strong,” Sowore said, before broadening his critique to what he described as systemic dysfunction. “We are not all on the same side … even the oppressors are oppressing you now.”
The activist reiterated his long-standing stance on governance and accountability, insisting that political power would not temper his opposition. “As far as the Nigeria project is concerned, no matter how powerful you people are, we will never support you. We are resilient till tomorrow,” he said.
Malami, who served under former president Muhammadu Buhari, offered a brief response, insisting he remained undeterred by the proceedings. “I can never be down,” he said. “I have been attending all my court sittings. I will keep attending. And I remain strong.”
He added that he had continued to participate in meetings of the African Democratic Congress, though he missed a recent opposition summit in Ibadan due to his court schedule.
The exchange, part confrontation and part spectacle, underscores the increasingly blurred lines between Nigeria’s political and judicial arenas — where former powerholders and long-time critics now find themselves navigating the same legal terrain.
