A Wuse magistrates’ court has adjourned a case involving five #BuhariMustGo activists as the counsel to the State Security Service failed to show up in court.

The matter was slated for hearing at Mpape magistrates’ court but moved to Wuse, Zone 2, due to the transfer of the magistrate, Muhammed Zubairu.

The counsel to the defendants, Tope Tomokun, told Peoples Gazette he was not notified of the magistrate’s transfer.

“We did not receive prior notification of the magistrate’s transfer. On getting to Mpape this morning, we were informed that the magistrate had been transferred to Wuse, and when we came, we discovered that the complainants, the prosecution is not here,” Mr Tomokun said.

At the resumed hearing, Mr Tomokun made an oral application under Sect 351 (1) of ACJA for the matter to be struck out as the applicants were absent in court.

Mr Zubairu refused the application because the applicants were not informed of his transfer. He adjourned the case until September 20.

The activists, Ben Manasseh, Anene Udoka, Henry Nwodo, Emmanuel Larry, and Samuel Gabriel Iwatonaiye, were arrested on July 4 at Dunamis International Worship Centre in Abuja for wearing #BuhariMustGo T-shirts.

On July 26, The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court ordered their release, but the SSS disobeyed the order.

On July 30, the defendants filed a contempt suit against the SSS director-general, Yusuf Bichi. For disobeying the court’s order.

On August 3, the SSS released the five activists after bail conditions were met.