The trial of Obiajulu Uja at the Zuba Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been stalled due to the non-appearance of prosecutors, the defendant and counsels.
A legal source at the Magistrate Court sais that the trial could not continue today as a result of the absence of the litigation parties.
“The matter is adjourned to the 26th day of September, 2023 for a report on the health condition of the defendant and hearing notice be served on the Correctional Facility,” he said.
Recalled that in June, the Zuba Magistrate Court in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, ordered the Kuje Correctional facility to continue holding Mr. Obiajulu Uja, in their custody.
Uja, who claimed to be a member of the OBIdient movement; in early April, was carried off a Lagos-Abuja flight, after he started a lone protest demanding that President Bola Tinubu (then President-Elect) must never be sworn in as President, on May 29.
The OBIdient supporter is said to be mentally-unstable, according to a medical report tendered to the Court at previous hearings, on the case.
But Magistrate Abdulazeez Ismail Muhammad, the trial judge, at the hearing on the matter (then), referred him back to the medical facility at Kuje Correctional facility, for further urgent medical treatment for a period of 2 months.
After listening to submissions of the prosecutor and defence counsels on bail application as well as the examination of the medical report which presupposed that the defendant is suffering from mental disorder, the magistrate noted that the defendant is of unsound mind and consequently is not fit for trial.
“Thus, I hereby refer the defendant back to the medical facility at Kuje Correctional Center for further urgent medical treatment for a period of two months at the expense of the federal government of Nigeria pursuant to the provision of Section 278(4).
