Proceedings in the trial of the alleged killers of Arise Television news anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, were stalled on Monday after the Nigerian Correctional Service failed to present the suspects in court.
The eleven defendants, who are facing a nine-count charge bordering on armed robbery and culpable homicide, did not appear before the Federal Capital Territory High Court. All the accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The defendants are Suleiman Badamosi, Zaradeen Mohammed, Musa Umar, Mashikur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, Abubakar Usman, Shamsu Hassan, Sani Surajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, and Abdulsalam Saleh.
During the proceedings, the prosecution counsel, Adama Musa, informed the court that prison officers claimed they were unaware of the hearing date. He added that the prosecution had brought four witnesses to court in readiness for the trial.
“We are in court with four witnesses who abandoned their official duties to testify today,” Musa told the court.
The trial judge, Mohammed Idris, adjourned the matter to February 10 and directed that the witnesses return for the continuation of the trial.
Somtochukwu Maduagwu, popularly known as Sommie, died on September 29 after about 15 armed men invaded Unique Apartments, a 16-flat, four-storey building in the Katampe area of Abuja. She reportedly jumped from the building during the attack. Danlami, a security guard at the apartment, was shot dead by the assailants.
