Retired Supreme Court Justice Mary Odili
Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial of 15 individuals accused of invading the home of retired Supreme Court Justice Mary Peter-Odili to July 14.
The defendants, who include Adjodo Lawrence, Michael Diete-spiff, and Alex Onyekuru, among others, are standing trial on an 18-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful invasion. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
During the proceedings, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. J.I. Kpandeh, called the third Prosecution Witness (PW3), CSP Solomon Gotang, to continue his testimony. The witness tendered a letter written to the office of the Force Secretary and its reply, which were admitted in evidence without objection from the defense counsel.
However, the defense counsel objected to the admissibility of the reply on the grounds that it differed from the document identified by the witness. The prosecutor withdrew the document to get it certified before tendering it in evidence.
The prosecutor also tendered another document, an analysis done by the witness of the investigation, which was admitted in evidence without objection. The witness described the document as a two-page report with the logo of the Nigerian Police Force and diagrammatic presentations of the roles played by the defendants.
The trial judge, Justice Ekerete Akpan, adjourned the matter to July 14 to allow the defendants cross-examine the witness.
The case has generated significant interest, with many eagerly awaiting the outcome. The defendants are expected to vigorously defend themselves against the charges.
The court’s decision to adjourn the trial to July 14 sets the stage for further proceedings in this high-profile case.
