By Eric Ikhilae, Abuja
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has struck out the appeal jointly filed by politicians and promoter of an online publication, Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore and his associate, Olawale Bakare.
In a ruling on Wednesday, a three-man panel of the court upheld the preliminary objection filed against the appeal by Aminu Alilu of the Federal Ministry of Justice.
In the led ruling by Justice Stephen Adah, the court held that the notice of appeal jointly filed by Sowore and Bakare was incompetent, because in criminal cases, appeals are personal, and each defendant is required to file individual notice of appeal.
Read Also: Court orders substituted service on Sowore in Ortom’s N150m suit
The court also faulted the notice of appeal on the grounds that only one of the appellants signed it, even when they claimed it was a joint notice of appeal.
Sowore and Bakare are being tried before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges of treasonable felony, fraud, cyberstalking and insulting President Muhammadu Buhari.
On October 4, 2019 Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu granted both defendants conditional bail, part of which conditions included barring them from addressing public gatherings.
Sowore was also restricted to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while Bakare was restricted to his base in Osun State.
Sowore and Bakare, who described the bail conditions as stringent, had, by their appeal, sought to have them voided.
