Unic Press UK: A Federal High Court judge, Ahmed Mohammed, on Monday recused himself from hearing a suit filed by Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, who is challenging his continued detention because he’s met the bail conditions prescribed by a Court.
Addressing the legal counsels representing the parties in the suit, Judge Ahmed Mohammed said his decision to withdraw is connected to the various publications by the Sowore’s Sahara Reporters in 2016/19 that accused him of bribery in a matter between the Federal Government and a former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, the Voice of Nigeria reports. Mohammed said:
“I have an issue with this matter. I want you, counsel, to look at it before we come back. I want to have your opinions. When the registrar of this court called me and informed me that I will be handling this matter, I asked if the chief judge was around and I was told he traveled for Christmas. Inside me, my conscience is telling me I should not take this matter subject to what people will say and what you will think. This applicant is a publisher of Sahara Reporter. Sometimes in 2016, he accused me of taking money for a matter to compromise the course of justice and I returned the case file but it was returned back to me that it would not be reassigned. Again this year, around June, the same applicant accused me of taking money again on the same case and I had to hands off again. Then the case was reassigned to Justice Abang. In all honesty, will it be fair for me to sit on this matter concerning the publisher?”
Neither the legal counsel for the applicant or defense objected to the judge’s decision to recuse himself.
