A Lagos High Court on Monday adjourned till May 23 the trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, charged for the murder of Usifo Ataga, the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV.

Ms Ojukwu is standing trial for alleged murder, stealing and forgery alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri.

At the last proceeding on May 12, the trial could not go on due to a change of counsel by the third defendant (Ms Egbuchu).

The new counsel, Ngozi Akandu, had asked that more eligible documents be served on him and more time to enable him to get acquainted with the proof of evidence.

However, when the matter was called up on Monday, Ms Akandu filed another application, praying the court to vacate the trial dates already fixed.

The new counsel told the court that she had yet to receive the proof of evidence from the prosecution counsel and the public Defender’s officer (former counsel for his client).

Counsel for the first defendant, Onwuka Egwu, did not object to the application, noting that the proof of evidence was about 400 pages.

Counsel for the second, Babatunde Busari, however, said, “I will concede to the adjournment for today; I will object that other dates be vacated because it took a lot of bending backwards to choose the dates.”

In her response, the prosecution counsel and Deputy Director for Public Prosecutions, Lagos State, Adenike Oluwafemi, said that Ms Akandu did not go to the OPD to collect the documents as scheduled.

She objected to the application by counsel for the third defendant to vacate other dates and informed the court that the prosecution witness was in court.

However, Justice Yetunde Adesanya in a short ruling vacated only Monday’s date and adjourned until May 23 for a continuation of the trial.

(NAN)