Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the Federal Government to pay a N200, 000 fine to Omoyele Sowore, Convener, #RevolutionNow, and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare.
Justice Ojukwu, who gave the order after Aminu Alilu, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), sought for an adjournment to enable him serve the defendants the amended charges.
At the resumed trial, Alilu had informed the court that the AGF had taken over the matter.
According to him, to that effect, “we have filed an amended two-count charge”.
He, however, said he was yet to effect service of same to the defendants, while asking for an adjournment.
“With kind permission of the court, we plan to do this after today’s proceeding. That is my application My Lord,” he said.
Justice Ojukwu then asked him what he meant by his remark.
“I don’t understand? When did you take over the matter,” she asked.
Alilu, who told the court that the office of the AGF took over the case late December, attributed the delay in service to a total review of the case file.
“How long does it take to review facts of the matter? Or this is how you are going to prosecute this case?” the judge, who was visibly angry, asked.
When the AGF lawyer apologised for the delay, Ojukwu said: “I do not like apology. You better drop your apology and do the right.”
In his argument, Counsel to the defendants, Adeyinka-Olumide Fusika, disagreed with Alilu on hid application.
Fusika, who told the court that the AGF was not prepare for the trial, asked the judge to strike out the case for want of diligent prosecution.
Justice Ojukwu held that the action was an attempt to delay the case.
She described the application for an adjournment as “frivolous.”
Sowore, alongside Bakare, were initially standing trial on seven counts of treasonable felony, fraud, cyber-stalking, among others.
The two-count charge by the AGF include: Conspiracy to commit treasonable felony, contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and treasonable felony, contrary to Section 41(a) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section of the Act. (NAN)