A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has given the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Olufunmilayo Fatunde a 72-hour ultimatum to respond to a Motion on Notice filed by Senator Ali Ndume.
Senator is standing trial for allegedly sponsoring the activities of fundamentalist sect, Boko Haram in the northern part of the country.
Presiding Judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole who reluctantly acknowledged a letter detailing the reasons why the DPP could not attend Tuesday’s session, expressed dissatisfaction at the way the prosecution is handling the case.
At the last sitting of the court, the DPP’s brief was held by a junior lawyer who could not proceed to argue a motion on notice filed by the defendant on the need to have his traveling documents released to him in order to attend the lesser Hajj in Saudi Arabia and also do a medical checkup.
When the trial resumed on Tuesday, Fatunde sent a letter to the court over her inability to attend the court session and as such the trial of the Senator could not proceed and his Motion on Notice could not be heard since there has not been any reply from the prosecution.
Justice Kolawole thereafter directed the DPP to within 72 hours file a reply to the Motion on Notice.
The court has now fixed July 16th to hear the Motion on Notice while adjourning the trial of the Senator to October 24th, 31st and November 1st.
