The trial Judge in the April 5, 2018 Offa bank robbery case, Justice Haleema Salman has blamed the prosecutor for the seeming delay in the dispensation of the case.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Monday after a prolonged adjournment, Justice Salman expressed the displeasure of the court on the media reports that the court was delaying the trial of the suspects.
” The court is not happy about the news going round in the media that the court is delaying adjudication on this matter.
“If anybody is to be blamed for the delay in this trial, it’s the prosecution. The case was adjourned from September 7, 2020 to December 21 and 22, 2020 to enable the prosecution to bring its key witness (Inspector Joseph Danjuma) to court.
“But on December 21, 2020, the prosecution was still unable to produce the witness, citing administrative bottlenecks,” Justice Salman lamented.
Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Barrister Bola Gold had filed an application before the court seeking the replacement of its key witness, Inspector Danjuma with Inspector John Newoke.
He told the court that Danjuma was outside the country on an official assignment.
He thereafter sought for an adjournment to enable them to assemble the necessary gadgets needed to interpret videos and CCTV footages.
“The witness is to give evidence on videos and CCTV footage and we need to arrange gadgets in the court for this purpose.
“We will need an adjournment in view of the technicalities involved in this,” Gold submitted.
The defense counsel, Mathias Emeribe also agreed to an adjournment.
He, however, complained to the court that the health challenge of the first accused person, Ayoade Akinnibosun has not been attended to as ordered by the court in the last adjourned date.
After granting the prosecution’s request for an adjournment, Justice Salman fumed: ” It’s your case. I don’t know whether you are working for the defense. Just state your case and I will record.”
Justice Salman who said the subsisting order of the court on the need for the doctor at the Correctional Service Centre, Ilorin to attend to the health challenge of the first accused person is still in force, gave a definite order asking Dr. Paul Olaleye to give Akinnibosun proper treatment.
The trial Judge adjourned the case till February 17, 2021 for the continuation of the hearing.