Zakzaky: Court proceedings stalled as Army counsel admits ignorance of case

There was drama at the Federal High Court, Kaduna yesterday during the court sitting of Shiekh Ibrahim Zakzaky versus the Nigerian Army and three others when counsel to the Nigerian Army, Hussein Oyebanji, admitted his inability to proceed with the case because he had no knowledge of the proceedings.

The presiding judge, Justice Saleh Shuaibu who questioned the army counsel expressed shock over his lack of knowledge of the case, saying, “The case is for hearing and he does not know anything about the case. The 1st and 2nd respondents who are the Nigerian Army and the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) are the key players in the case, and 2/3 of this case file are papers filed by the 1st and 2nd respondents and yet the person who has come to represent them on behalf of the principal counsel, Barrister Biola Oyebanji, has no clue as to what the matter is in the file. In the interest of justice, I will adjourn the case and I expect the defence counsel to have gotten his house in order before the next adjourned date.”

Justice Shuaibu adjourned the case to 30th June 2017 for hearing.

It could be recalled that an Abuja Division of the Federal High court on 2nd December 2016 ordered the release of the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky.

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