Offa Robbery: Police failure to present witnesses, exhibits stall case

Failure of the police from Nigerian police force, headquarters
in Abuja to produce witnesses and exhibits on Monday stalled the
continuation of the Offa Robbery case in an ilorin high court in
the resumed hearing of the high profile case.

Justice Halima Salima had fixed Monday for the resumed hearing
of the case before it was stalled.

The five suspects were brought to court, while their defence
counsel, Barrister Mathias Emeribe was also in attendance.

Kwara state Director Public Prosecution, Jimoh Mumini while
addressing the court said he had made three telephone calls to the
police headquarters in Abuja before he was assured that the
witnesses and the exhibits would be brought to Kwara state on
Monday.

“It was only today that I was told that the exhibits and
witnesses would be brought to Kwara, so we would be humbly asking
for the next convenient date by your lordship,” He said.

The prosecutor also told the court that, Deputy commissioner of
police, Abba Kyari who led the investigation had pleaded with him
to urge the court to vacate the order of definite hearing earlier
fixed for Monday since the witnesses could not make it on time.

The defence counsel, Mathias Emeribe while addressing the court
said he did not object to the plea and also agreed with the
prosecution that the case be adjourned till January the 18th.

Emeribe also requested that he be served with the necessary
witnesses statements so that he would not be ambushed.

Speaking with newsmen, after the court proceeding the Director
of public prosecution, Jimoh Mumini, said the best witnesses for
the prosecution of the case would have been people from Offa who
witnessed what happened on that day and not just policemen who
investigated the incident.

He expressed concern that there was no witness from Offa from
the diary he had with him.

Justice Halima Salina therefore adjourned the case for definite
hearing to January the 18,2019.