Terrorism: Court adjourns Delta kidnap kingpin trial to July 11 A Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday adjourned to July 11, 2014, the trial of Delta state kidnap kingpin, Mr. Kelvin Oniarah and two others. The trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi adjourned the matter to enable counsel argue on a pending application for bail for the kidnap ringleader and two other accused person. Justice Adeniyi said: The court order of June 9, 2014, subsists throughout the case. Justice Ademola had ordered: The accused persons should have access to their counsel from Festus Keyamo Chambers and Co, and that each of the accused persons should have access to a member of their family. The federal government had on June 9, 2014 arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on a thirteen count charge bothering on kidnapping, terrorism and murder. Mr. Kelvin Ezeiegbe was arraigned alongside Messrs Frank Azuekor and Michael Omonigho. They had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. Subsequently, the prosecution counsel, Mrs. Chioma Onuegbu had said: Based on the plea of not guilty, we hereby make an order that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody pending a date for hearing. The court however refused the oral application for bail made by the defence lawyer, Mr. Bala I. Dakum. The trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi said the application was not in line with the Criminal Procedure Rule of the court. Mr. Dakum drew the courts attention to the difficulties he was faced with in trying to have access to his clients who were in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS), which necessitated the earlier order. Messrs Ezeiegbe and Azuekor are being prosecuted for conspiracy to commit terrorist act, kidnapping of persons, inciting persons to commit act terrorism recruitment and abetting escape, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 17 of Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 as amended among other counts. They were also arraigned on count 9 for allegedly kidnapping Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) on August 23, 2013 in Delta state and killing of several security operatives who were on lawful duty.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 18:08:41 +0000
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