Appeal Court Hears Ojukaye’s Bail Plea, July 4

The Appeal Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State says it will on July 4, 2016, hear the bail application of the embattled former Chairman of Asari Trou local Government Area of the state, Mr. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.
This was the decision taken by the three-man panel of the appellate Judges, led by Justice Sidi Bage during the commencement of the trial at the Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
The court also directed all parties in the matter to serve and file all processes on the application before the adjourned date, adding that the court would be taking a definite hearing on the matter that day.
This directive was a reaction to a plea by the defence counsel, Godwin Obla (SAN) who led the team of lawyers to represent the State government at the Appellate  court Thursday.
Obla had told the court while reacting to the motion for Application for bail moved by the accused person’s  lawyer, Sabastine Hon (SAN) that he received the notice for the bail application late and as such, he was unable to file in his response.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) urged the court to give him more time to study the application so as to enable him turn in his reply even as he urged the court to take notice of the appeal he filed in the court against the ruling of the State High Court on their application which urged on the court to refuse to hear the accused bail application, which the State High Court later ruled against them.
However, the counsel to the accused person, Hon Sabastine (SAN) had earlier told the court that they served the Attorney-General and State Commissioner for Justice their application in good time adding that he was not aware that the State Attorney General has given, Mr. Obla Godwin the fiat to represent the state government in the matter.
He averred that the AG was in a better position to brief him with the service of their appeal.