Ayana on April 8 adjourned the case to Friday, April 12, 2024, for the hearing and ruling on the application filed by his lawyer, Marvins Omorogbe.
The hearing of the bail application of prominent blogger and social media influencer Ofoegu Chukwuma popularly known as ‘Ijele’ again suffered another setback following the absence of Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna who claimed to be ill.
Ayana on April 8 adjourned the case to Friday, April 12, 2024, for the hearing and ruling on the application filed by his lawyer, Marvins Omorogbe.
Surprisingly after the lawyers waited for hours in anticipation of the commencement of the proceedings, a court clerk walked into the courtroom to announce that the court would not be sitting as scheduled as a result of the ill health of the magistrate.
The clerk said he just got a phone call from the magistrate that he was indisposed and would not be able to make it to the court. He said the magistrate asked him to give the lawyers a new date.
“My Lord is not feeling fine. Yesterday I called him and from his voice, I observed he was not feeling well. I just made a call now and he told me that he is seriously down,” the court clerk said.
The announcement did not go down well with Ijele's lawyers as they questioned the rationale for giving them April 18 as a new date after the case had been scheduled for today (Friday). They asked why the information was just getting to them after wasting their time for hours.
Meanwhile, sources say the plot is to continue to perpetually keep the blogger in prison.
Ijele who was brought to the court by prison officials was in high spirits and dressed in white attire.
Ijele has been kept in the Keffi Correctional Centre in Nasarawa State since March 20, 2024 for alleged criminal intimidation, threat to life, cyberstalking, and cyberbullying against Evangelist Ebuka Obi’s Zion Prayer Ministry Movement Outreach.
SaharaReporters had reported how the Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Iyanna adjourned the hearing of the bail application to April 8, 2024, following a disagreement between two prosecution lawyers, Obiora Ejiofor and B.N. Ezala.