Chief Magistrate Warns Counsels against Seeking Frivolous Adjournments

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lokoja has warned defendants and their counsels to desist from seeking frivolous adjournments for criminal cases. 

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Hajia Abdul Maimunat, gave this warning while reacting to the letter written by a defence counsel in traditional title’s case involving the Ebiya traditional stool in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State in Lokoja yesterday.

No doubt Kogi State’s judiciary has earlier warned the judicial officers not to adjourn criminal cases more than necessary to avoid denying suspects justice at appropriate time.

Maimunat, therefore, warned the counsels seeking adjournments to desist from the act to enhance speedy administration of criminal justice in Kogi State.

The trail judge also explained that since the case is criminal in nature, the court could not grant any adjournment sought for defendant that is more than two week. 

She also warned the defendant to prepare to defend himself if his that failure of his counsel failed to appear before the court during next sitting. 

The Defence Counsel, Mr. H.O. Abbas, had earlier written to notify the court of the reason he was absent and to seek for almost one month adjournment of the case.

But the Prosecution Counsel, Mr. G.O Ojo, however, objected to the application, arguing that case is ready for commencement of hearing and that the prosecution was ready to go on with case.

Ojo lamented that the prosecution would grudgingly accept the motion for adjournment.

In her ruling, the chief magistrate adjourned the matter to June 7 for the commencement of the hearing of the case.