The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has told activist-politician Omoyele Sowore in blunt terms that courtrooms are not TV studios, after he barged into the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday with cameramen in tow and tried to run a press briefing on the courtroom floor.
In a statement signed by NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association branded the stunt “a serious breach of courtroom decorum.”
According to the NBA, Sowore showed up with supporters lugging cameras and lights. While no case of his was listed, he walked past the bar, perched on a courtroom table and began riffing on “national issues.”
“Members of his team attended to him, fanning his face and tidying his appearance in a manner akin to a broadcast setting,” the statement noted.
Senior Advocate Musibau Adetunbi objected, sparking a heated exchange that unsettled the court.
The NBA said “any conduct that undermines the dignity of the court, intimidates legal practitioners, or disrupts proceedings constitutes a grave affront to the rule of law.”
It added: “The use of a courtroom as a venue for publicity, advocacy theatrics, or confrontation is unacceptable.”
While conceding Sowore’s right to observe proceedings, the Bar stressed that right “must be exercised responsibly and with due regard to courtroom decorum.”
The association condemned the disruption, backed Adetunbi and called on court authorities “to ensure that courtrooms remain protected spaces for the orderly administration of justice.”
