Tina Amanda
A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has adjourned to move on the application for bail in the criminal suit filed by the Rivers State government against the Governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Rivers State, Farah Dagogo.
The presiding Judge, Justice Chiwendu Nwogu, gave the adjourned date after ruling on the preliminary objection on the issue of jurisdiction filed earlier by Counsel to Defendant which the Court dismissed following the application withdrawal by the Counsel.
The Court, however, told Counsels in the matter to return on the next adjourned date to argue on the motion of bail application before it and adjourned the case to 2nd June 2022.
In an interview with our correspondent, Cosmos Enweluzo Counsel representing Farah Dagogo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the reason for withdrawing the application for preliminary objection attacking the jurisdiction of the court is because it will delay the application for bail.
The senior advocate further expressed displeasure that the action of the prosecution to ask for time to respond on the bail application of his client, is deliberate and intended to still keep his Farah Dagogo in prison.
“If you raise an issue of jurisdiction it must be heard and determined one way or the other before the court does any other thing and because it will delay our application for bail, so we withdrew it at the last adjourned date. All that the court had to do is to dismiss it
“We insisted that the bail application should go on, but the State Prosecution Counsel said they have not responded, of cos it is intentional, they did not want to respond because they had all the time since 11 May 2022. It is a trick to delay the matter.
“The way of justice rises slowly but it usually has a destination. We hope, God willing, on the 2nd of June we move our application for bail”.
On his part, State Prosecution Counsel Chidi Ekeh dismissed allegations that they are intentionally delaying the process to have the member representing Degema-Bonny federal constituency in prison, saying that it is their right to respond to applications.
“We have to respond to the bail application and the court also ruled in our favour. Anybody who says it is a deliberate act to keep the Defendant in custody is a misconception, after all the law says it is only the living that can stand trial.
“And if by the next adjourned date his bail application has the merit of course, the court will grant him bail. If there is a reason for the court to rule on the contrary, the court will also rule. It is a court that is regulated by law”.
