The Abuja Division of
the Federal High Court on Monday agreed to adjourn the trial of former Peoples
Democratic Party spokesperson, Olisa Metuh, on health grounds.
The court presided over by Justice Okon Abang granted the adjournment
after seeing Mr. Metuh arrive the court on a stretcher on Monday.
He is being charged with corruption for collecting N400 million
from the Office of the National Security Adviser under Sambo Dasuki.
Mr. Metuh’s lawyers led by a senior Advocate of Nigeria,
Onyeachi Ikpeazu, had made the application for adjournment during a previous
hearing in January.
Mr. Ikpeazu presented a medical report from a doctor at the
Nnamdi Azikiwe Specialist Hospital to support his application.
Reacting to the application, however, the prosecution counsel,
Sylvanus Tahir , asked the court to revoke the bail granted Mr. Metuh,
stressing that the court should consider Mr. Metuh’s absence as an attempt to
jump his bail.
In his ruling, Mr. Abang had expressed doubts that the medical
report was sufficient to allow the application of the defendant.
“This is not a post office. Anybody can sit in his house and
write this,” Mr. Abang said.
The judge said there was no evidence to prove that the medical
report was authentic or that the medical doctor who signed the report actually
existed.
Mr. Abang then
threatened to revoke the defendant’s bail if he did not present himself in
court on Monday.
After seeing Mr. Metuh in court on Monday, however, Mr Abang
adjourned the matter, saying it was imperative that the court conducts itself
in a humane manner.
“The court must be firm in its decisions. It must also be seen
to be fair to all parties. It is important for the court to also be humane.
“I have seen the condition that the first defendant is. Seeing
the condition, I am inclined to adjourn this matter to allow the first
defendant attend his trial”.
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