Among other reasons, counsel to Otiki said it’s a fact that the defendant conducted several operations that were directly under the office of Adeosun, which are operations that will come up during the trial.
Former General Officer Commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Sokoto, Maj-Gen Hakeem Otiki, on Tuesday rejected Lieutenant-Gen Lamidi Adeosun as President of the Court Marshal set up to try him, according to a report by Channels TV.
The former GOC is being tried for alleged theft of N400m.
He made this known through his lawyer, Major Femi Oyebanji (retd), who said Adeosun presiding over the Court Marshal will prejudice his case and not ensure a fair trial.
Among other reasons, counsel to Otiki said it’s a fact that the defendant conducted several operations that were directly under the office of Adeosun, which are operations that will come up during the trial.
According to the counsel, this makes the President of the Court Marshal an interested party.
He also added that the defendants inherited the soldiers that were under the command of Adeosun when he was in charge of 8 Division and some of those soldiers will come up as witnesses in the case.
He, therefore, asked him to excuse himself from the trial.
Otiki is alleged to have ordered five soldiers to escort the N400m from Sokoto to Kaduna State to a prominent person but the said soldiers were alleged to have absconded with the money.