Absence of lawyer stalls Evans arraignment

Akin Kuponiyi

Absence of Olukoya Ogungbeje, lawyer to the suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a Evans standing trial before Justice Akintoye of the Lagos State High Court, Lagos again on Friday stalled his arraignment on another two separate charges.

Failure to arraign Evans and others on Friday before the court made it second time that the arraignment of the defendants would be stalled.

First attempt to arraign Evans and others on two separate charges before the court was rebuffed on November 13, 2017 by the defendants lawyers, on the ground that the prosecution failed to do the needful by serving them with copies of the new charges.

Based on the defendants’ counsel’s submissions, the court adjourned till Friday for their arraignment which also failed.

In the two separate new charges, Evans was docked alongside Joseph Ikenna Emeka, Victor Aduba and Okapara Linus in one, while the suspected kidnapper in the second charge was docked alongside Joseph Ikenna Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

When the matter was mentioned on Friday, the prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Titilayo Shittabey told the court of her readiness to proceed with the case but was constrained by the letter written by Evans’ lawyer, Ogungbeje seeking for a stand down of the matter till 12 pm, for the fact that he was before the Court of Appeal for another matter.

The court and other defendants’ counsel also acknowledged the letter.

Besides, Jude Igbanoi, lawyer to third defendant, Linus in the first charge also told the court that he had just taken the brief and still needed time to study proof of evidence and other things.

Base on the application and the letter of Evans’ lawyer, the prosecutor ask the court for short adjournment, she told the court that it was not certain whether Ogungbeje would be back by 12 pm.

Other defendants’ counsel did not opposed the prosecution’s application and the court adjourned the two separate charges till January 22, 2018 for hearing.