A Lagos High Court has summoned Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Felix Ogbaudu, to appear before it on July one to conclude his evidence.
Justice Muftau Olokooba directed that the summons should be sent through the office of the Inspector-General of Police by the court’s bailiff for onward delivery to Ogbaudu.
Security Alert with Jide reports that Ogbaudu is the ninth prosecution witness in the case against Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and three others.
Al-Mustapha, the Chief Security Officer to late General Sani Abacha, is standing trial for alleged attempted murder of the publisher of the Guardian newspapers, Alex Ibru.
Al-Mustapha is being tried along with James Danbaba, a former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Jubrin Yakubu, a former Military Administrator of Zamfara and Chief Superintendent of Police Rabo Lawal.
They were also charged with attempted murder of a former Director of Sports in Delta,Isaac Porbeni.
Prosecution Counsel,Ladipo Oshowala, had earlier informed the court that his witness was not present because of some official assignments and would not be present on July one.
Oshowala told the court that the adjourned dates were picked in the absence of the witness but he had promised to be present on July twelve and thirteen.
Counsel to the defendants, Messrs Olalekan Ojo, Chukudi Nnmakwe and Chima Ikegbule for Al-Mustapha, Lawal, Danbaba and Yakubu opposed the application for an adjournment.
They contended that a warrant of arrest should be issued on the ninth prosecution witness because it was not the first time the case had suffered a setback because of his absence.
They further contended that the witness was present in court on April twenty when the case was adjourned to May twenty-five but failed to turn up and so his evidence should be closed.
Justice Olokooba, however, held that a warrant could not be issued because he was not present in court when the adjourned date was fixed,saying the law is settled on that.
He ruled that the position of the law is that a summon should be served on the witness.
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