Brave Dickson
The inability to perfect stringent bail conditions has stalled the trial of four suspected armed political thugs allegedly caught for terrorizing the 2015 general elections in one of the Kalabari speaking Local Government Area of Rivers State.
At the resumed hearing of the trial, the case was billed for the cross examination of the first prosecution witness by the defendants’ lawyer who could not proceed because his clients were not in court.
For the interest of the trial, presiding Justice, Hilary Oshomah upheld the motion of the defendants’ counsel, Barr Fabiawari Mark which prayed the court to vary her clients’ bail conditions to enable their production in court.
Speaking shortly after the court sitting, Barr Fabiawari insisted that the defendants were not caught with guns as alleged by the prosecution.
She identified her clients as peasant commercial motorcycle riders who became victims of circumstances in the hands of F-SARS operatives.
Expressing delight over the varying bail conditions of her clients, Barr Fabiawari said, “earlier my clients were ordered by the court to produce a recognized and gazzeted chief as surety but has now been varied to be a recognized chief with gazetted chief introducing him as one of his chiefs in addition to a recognition letter.
“Another aspect the court also varied the bail conditions was the production of a surety with a three year tax clearance whose company original certificate must be brought to the court for citing as well as a photocopy of same be deposited with the court.”
The court therefore adjourned the trial to the 19th and 20th June, 2019.
Findings has it that the defendants; Dike Deinpipubo, Valentine Alalibo, Iloke Stephen and Onwunari Warmate have been in prison custody for the past four years as awaiting trial inmates.
