The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi North to November 24, following the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, on Monday.
The judge was reportedly unavailable as court activities were disrupted by the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, led by activist Omoyele Sowore, which affected operations across parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to reports, Justice Umar’s courtroom was under lock and key on Monday, halting proceedings in all scheduled cases, including Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s trial.
The matter was subsequently rescheduled to Tuesday, with the court fixing November 24 for the commencement of trial.
The development came after the case had earlier been slated for October 21, following an adjournment on September 22, when the proceedings were stalled due to an objection raised by the defence team.
ThemomentNg reports that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi North Senatorial District, was arraigned on June 30 on a six-count charge filed by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar, over alleged cybercrime offences.
She pleaded not guilty and was subsequently granted bail by Justice Umar, who then adjourned the case to September 22 for trial commencement.
However, when the prosecuting counsel, David Kaswe, attempted to open the case by calling his first witness, the defence lawyer, Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN), raised a preliminary objection, challenging the court’s jurisdiction.
West-Idahosa argued that the objection was not about the substance of the charge but the alleged abuse of prosecutorial powers by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).
He also complained that the prosecution had failed to serve the defence team with copies of witness statements ahead of the trial.
“We have already filed a notice of preliminary objection to challenge the court’s jurisdiction. It is not against the charge itself but the procedure adopted by the prosecution,” the defence counsel said.
While Kaswe urged the court to proceed with the trial despite the objection, Justice Umar ruled that the prosecution must first respond formally before the case could proceed.
