The celebrated trial of Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji, the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly failed to hold for the umpteenth time, following the absence of the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Godwin Obla, in court.
According to Olusola Folarin, Obla’s representative, the counsel’s inability to embark on the trip to Lagos from Abuja was occasioned by the failure of the court registrar to brief him appropriately on the 20th-November date set by the court.
“The registrar had given him November 22 as the next adjourned date,” he said, and then sought an adjournment of the case from the court.
But presiding on the case, Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos was obviously unimpressed by the reason adduced for the EFCC counsel’s absence, reminding the court that the latest absenteeism of Obla is the second in the case against Speaker Ikuforiji.
“In the last adjourned date of November 6, the EFCC counsel was absent in court, stating that he was indisposed,” he recalled.
Justice Okeke then directed the court registrar to read the letter of the court fixing 20th November as the next adjourned date.
However, Ikuforiji’s counsel, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, spoke in Obla’s defence, saying Obla had earlier conveyed his unavailability to him during a telephone conversation.
The court would later adjourn the continuation of the trial to 17th December 2012.
Speaker Ikuforiji of the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and one of his aides, Oyebode Atoyebi, are defending allegations of laundering N501 million in a high-profile matter that has been marred by series of needless court adjournments.
