Concern As AGF Takes Over Terrorism Trial Of Fubara’s Loyalists From Police
The Minister of Justice and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to hands-off in the terrorism trial of five loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State.
Fagbemi, through his lawyer, David Kaswe, made this known on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja during the continuation of the trial of the five defendants who have been facing trial for their alleged complicity in the burning of Rivers State House of Assembly and killing of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO).
The AGF said that he would take over the trial and subsequently directed the IGP to transfer the case file to his office in the Federal Ministry of Justice for a review of the defendants’ indictments.
At Tuesday’s resumption of the trial before Justice Mobolaji Olajuwon, the AGF informed the Court that he had not effectively taken over the trial because the IGP had yet to comply with his directive to transfer the case file to him.
Subsequently, he applied for an adjournment to enable the Police Chief to comply with his order, study the case file, and take a proper position.
When Justice Olajuwon asked IGP’s lawyer, Simon Lough (SAN), why the case file had not been transmitted to the AGF, he blamed the delay on an administrative bottleneck.
The judge, however, counselled that the IGP comply with the AGF directive and thereafter shifted the trial’s resumption to May 7, 2024.
Justice Olajuwon also ordered that the five defendants be returned to Kuje prison in Abuja to continue their remand.
five men charged with terrorism offences by the IGP are Chime Eguma Ezebalike, Prince Lukman Oladele, Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa, Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.
