Human rights activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has withdrawn his request to subpoena the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Ajayi, in his ongoing criminal defamation trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The unexpected move came after the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), challenged the subpoena, arguing that the DSS chief was not the appropriate person to tender the document sought by the defence.

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During Tuesday’s proceedings, Sowore informed the court that he would no longer insist on Ajayi’s appearance, explaining that the evidence he intended to obtain from the DSS Director-General could instead be produced by another official of the agency.

Fagbemi urged the court to set aside the subpoena, arguing that the document in question—a letter asking Sowore to delete a Facebook post in which he allegedly described President Bola Tinubu as a “criminal”—was neither authored nor signed by Ajayi.

The Attorney General further submitted that the letter had already been admitted into evidence twice by the court.

He also noted that its author, Uwen Davis, had testified before the court on July 22 on behalf of the defence, making the appearance of the DSS Director-General unnecessary.

Earlier in the proceedings, Sowore’s counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), questioned the Attorney General’s direct involvement in the case.

He argued that another Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Akinlolu Kehinde, was already representing the Federal Government and maintained that although the Attorney General had the constitutional authority to appear in any matter, the defence ought to have been notified before he assumed responsibility for the prosecution.

The court had earlier confirmed that the subpoena had been served on the DSS Director of Legal Services after the registrar informed Justice Mohammed Umar that service had been effected.

However, the Federal Government maintained that Ajayi was unaware of the service and asked the court to vacate the subpoena while directing the defence to continue with its case.

Following the arguments, Sowore withdrew the request, acknowledging that the evidence he sought could be obtained through another DSS official.

Justice Mohammed Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until August 3 for the continuation of the defence in the criminal defamation trial.

Fresh violence has engulfed parts of Benue State following coordinated attacks by suspected armed herdsmen that left at least 16 people dead and several others injured in Otukpo and Kwande Local Government Areas.

The deadliest assault occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when gunmen stormed the Efeyi community in the Ugboju District of Otukpo LGA at about 4:00 a.m., opening fire on residents.

At least 14 people were reportedly killed, while many others sustained gunshot wounds and are receiving treatment in hospitals.

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Residents said the attackers operated for several hours before security personnel arrived, raising fresh concerns over the slow response of security agencies to recurring attacks in the state.

A community source described the incident as heartbreaking, saying the attackers invaded the community around 4:00 a.m. and that security forces did not arrive until hours later, leaving residents helpless as the assailants unleashed terror.

Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack, disclosing that 14 bodies had been recovered while several injured victims were undergoing treatment.

According to him, the attack was unprovoked and carried out solely to kill innocent residents.

“14 dead bodies have been recovered, and many others are wounded. There was no provocation; it was simply to shed blood and kill innocent people,” Ogiri said.

He added that fear had gripped neighbouring communities, with many residents already abandoning their homes in search of safety.

The council chairman also questioned the effectiveness of security operations in the area despite the presence of military personnel, police officers, mobile police units and agro-rangers.

He urged the government to fully enforce the state’s anti-open grazing law, insisting that stronger action was needed to tackle the recurring violence.

Ogiri maintained that the attacks were carried out by suspected militia herdsmen, noting that communities in the area had come under repeated assaults in recent days.

Earlier on Monday, another farmer was reportedly killed while working on his farmland in Ipom community, also in Otukpo LGA.

In a separate incident on the same day, suspected armed herdsmen invaded Abaji community in Kwande LGA, where they opened fire on farmers cultivating Bambara nuts.

A woman who sustained gunshot injuries later died, while the attackers reportedly fled with two motorcycles belonging to farmers who escaped the attack.

A survivor recalled the terrifying moment, saying the farmers noticed suspicious movements before the gunmen suddenly opened fire, forcing everyone to flee and abandon their farming tools.

Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has narrated what he described as the dramatic circumstances surrounding his escape during the Department of State Services (DSS) raid on his Ibadan residence in July 2021.

Speaking on Monday while hosting a delegation of Muslim clerics at his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State, Igboho claimed he remained inside his house throughout the operation despite the security operatives’ efforts to locate and arrest him.

According to the activist, the DSS operatives stormed his residence around 1:30 a.m., firing gunshots after hearing his voice before allegedly using explosives to force their way into the building.

SEE MORE: “I Know the Politicians Behind Oyo School Kidnap, I’ll Expose Them All” — Sunday Igboho

“When they came around 1:30 am, I heard a sound and was inquiring who it was; they started shooting at the room. They heard my voice. When they finally scaled the fence in, they planted a dynamite on the burglary, and everything completely fell apart. That was where they entered,” he said.

Igboho said he briefly considered surrendering but decided against it because he believed his life was in danger.

“One mind was telling me to surrender to them; the other was telling me not to surrender, else I would be killed.”

He further alleged that the operatives pointed a gun at his personal assistant, identified as Dudu, while attempting to force him to open a door.

Addressing widespread rumours that he transformed into a cat to evade arrest, Igboho dismissed the claims, insisting he never left the house during the operation.

“I didn’t turn into a cat. They even killed it, thinking it was me. They even brought a fake herbalist who was just making an incantation and performing a ritual. I was in the house watching them, but they didn’t see me.”

The Yoruba Nation campaigner also alleged that a partially blind relative was shot after security operatives mistakenly believed he intended to attack them.

Igboho attributed his survival to divine intervention, saying prayers earlier offered by Muslim clerics helped avert the danger.

“So it was God that saved me after a prayer that some Muslim clerics did in my house, forestalling a bad vision they claimed to have seen on me.”

The raid on Igboho’s Soka residence in Ibadan took place on July 1, 2021, following months of heightened tension between the activist and the Federal Government under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

At the time, the DSS announced that it recovered firearms and ammunition from the residence and arrested 13 of Igboho’s associates.

The agency also stated that two of his aides were killed during what it described as an exchange of gunfire.

Following the operation, Igboho fled Nigeria and was later arrested in Cotonou, Benin Republic, while attempting to travel to Germany.

He was subsequently released by Beninese authorities after months of legal proceedings and has remained in self-imposed exile in the Benin Republic, where he continues to campaign for the creation of a sovereign Yoruba Nation.