The trial of seven persons accused of complicity in the murder of the former Ekiti State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Omolafe Aderiye, was stalled on Thursday following the absence of prosecution counsel.
Defence lawyers accused the State of employing delay tactics to stall the case and keep the accused persons perpetually in prison custody.
The accused persons standing trial in the murder case are Adebayo Aderiye (1st), Adeniyi Adedipe (2nd), Sola Durodola (3rd), Ajayi Kayode (4th), Oso Fatimehin (5th) , Sola Adenijo (6th) and Rotimi Olanbiwonnu (7th).
Prosecution counsel, Ahmed Tafa was not in court but he sent a letter to the presiding judge, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, applying for adjournment, citing his involvement in another court as reason for his absence.
The development did not go down well with counsel to the 2nd defendant, Biodun Fasakin and counsel to the 6th defendant, Ibrahim Olanrewaju who also held brief for counsel to the 1st, 3rd and 4th defendants, Chris Omokhafe.
Fasakin told the court that he was not aware of any letter from the prosecution counsel seeking an adjournment of the case, especially when a ruling on the no-case submission filed by the accused persons was being awaited.
Olanrewaju while opposing the application to adjourn the matter stressed that prior to Thursday’s proceeding, “several attempts had been made by the prosecution to delay trial and stall hearing.”
He said an application filed by the prosecution at the Ado Ekiti Division of the Court of Appeal had been struck out two days earlier, hence there was nothing on ground to stop continuation of the matter at the trial court.
The lawyers to the accused persons urged the court to go ahead with the ruling on the no-case submission already pending before the court.
But Justice Ogunmoye adjourned till tomorrow (Friday), March 4, for further hearing.
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