Omoyele Sowore walked up to Abubakar Malami at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday and jeered at the former attorney-general as cameras rolled, in an encounter that has since gone viral.
Standing inches from Malami, Sowore said, "You see how it feels now to be persecuted. When you were with Buhari, 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." He added, "When you were in Buhari’s government, you were saying Sowore committed treason. See as they are dealing with you now," and offered the minister "a revolutionary cap," saying, "I want to give you my cap. This is a revolutionary cap."
The exchange came amid ongoing litigation against Malami: the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the State Security Service are suing him on allegations that include money laundering, unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful acquisition of assets. Malami is contesting a court order for the temporary confiscation of his possessions and is facing a 16-count charge, a case the federal government amended on April 15 to remove an allegation bordering on terrorism financing.
Malami answered Sowore in the short confrontation with defiance. "I can never be down," he said. "Well, I have been attending all my court sittings. I will keep attending. And I remain strong." He also told the activist, "I have my own cap," and noted he had been attending, "even though I couldn’t attend the Ibadan summit."
The moments between them were sharp and personal. Sowore told Malami, "At least I’m glad that you are strong. We are not all on the same side; even the oppressors are oppressing you now. As far as the Nigerian project is concerned, no matter how powerful you people are, we will never support you. We are resilient till tomorrow." He repeated, "There is failure in the system. The system is dealing with you now."
Context made the encounter sting: Malami served as attorney-general and minister of justice from 2015 to 2023 under then-President Muhammadu Buhari. Sowore, who has a long history of opposition to that government, was arrested by the DSS on August 3, 2019, spent 124 days in custody after calling for protests, was rearrested in December 2019 and faced subsequent detention in early 2021. Sowore framed the court exchange as a reversal of roles from Malami’s time in office.
The friction is obvious. Sowore’s taunts recalled his own treatment under state security; Malami’s responses emphasized continuity and resilience as he contests criminal allegations and a temporary confiscation order. The public confrontation underscores that figures who enforced prosecutions a few years ago are now litigants under close scrutiny, and that courtroom calendars and evidence — not public jeers — will determine what comes next.
The immediate next step is legal: Malami must press his challenges to the temporary confiscation and answer the multi-count charges in court, and the government will proceed with the amended case. For now, the brief, viral moment left both men on camera — Sowore offering a cap and saying, "We are resilient till tomorrow," and Malami insisting, "I can never be down." The confrontation was a plain, public illustration that the system that once targeted sowore is now processing one of its former chief enforcers.
