Court Fixes New Date For Trial Of Five Fubara’s Loyalists

A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of five persons suspected to have participated in the burning of the Rivers State House of Assembly complex to March 12.

The suspects, who are believed to be loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, are Chima Eguma Ezebalike, Princess Lukman Oadele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

Naija News reports that the presiding judge, Justice Bolaji Olajuwon, on Thursday, adjourned the matter after refusing a fresh oral application for bail of the defendants.

Prosecution counsel, Simon Lough (SAN), had sought to call a witness to commence the trial when defence counsel, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN) requested for bail orally as well as to take an application challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the case.

Another defence counsel, Adeola Salako Esq, also requested for an adjournment to enable him to study the charges having just been engaged, which was granted by the court.

The five suspects were on January 25 remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Service, Kuje, after they were arraigned on terrorism-related offences.

The court on February 5 refused their application for bail citing lack of sufficient materials to support the bail on medical reasons.

Consequently, the judge ordered that the defendants remain in the correctional centre in Kuje while she granted an accelerated hearing in the matter.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges marked FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024.

The prosecution alleged that the offences breached the provisions of Section 26 (1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022 and Section 1 of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.