The absence of an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Friday Ibadin, from a Federal High Court, Lagos on Tuesday stalled the trial of six suspected vandals of petroleum pipeline in Arepo, a suburb of Ikorodu, Lagos State.
The matter was on November 29, 2012, after the arraignment of the accused, adjourned till Tuesday for commencement of trial.
However, the counsel who represented Ibadin in court at the Tuesday's proceedings, Mr. Justin Enang, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, told the presiding judge, Mohammed Idris, that his boss could not be in court because he had on Monday missed his flight from Abuja.
But one of the defence lawyers, G.O Nnachor, described the excuse for Ibadin's absence as “not tenable”.
“There is always a flight. If he missed one flight, he could always get another one. I think it is not a tenable excuse,” Nnachor said.
Nnachor informed the court of the bail application which he had filed on behalf of his clients.
Nnachor and two other defence counsels in the matter – E.O Agbede and C.E Emekobu – also complained that the prosecution had not served the proof of evidence on them.
However, Agbede and Emekobu said they had just been briefed on the matter and therefore sought for time to study the case file to enable them to prepare adequate defence for their clients.
Among the accused was a 60-year-old community leader, Oluwole Reuben.
Others arraigned alongside with him are Inerepamu Ijebu Joel (25), John Aye Isaiah (28), Ineye Okposa (40), Timi Gunugunu (22) and Saheed Olisa Mudashiru (25).
The six accused persons were on November 29, arraigned for vandalising the pipelines.
The accused had pleaded not guilty to seven counts of vandalising the pipelines and murder of three employees of the NNPC – Agbaku OAU, Ernest Ngene and Ikechukwu Ikenem.
The accused allegedly killed the employees of NNPC with a pump action gun while trying to escape with refined oil which they illegally scooped from the NNPC pipeline in the area.
While the accused were to remain in prison, pending the hearing of their bail applications, Justice Idris fixed January 25 and 28, 2013 for trial, and ordered the prosecution to serve the proof of evidence on the defence.
