Alleged Murder Of Lawyer, Ken Atsuete: Absence of Defence Counsel Stalls Proceedings
A Port-Harcourt High Court has adjourned to 27 February for continuation in trial over the alleged murder of human rights lawyer, Ken Atsuete.
Presiding judge, Honourable Justice Boma Diepriye, adjourned the case after counsel to third and fourth accused failed to turn up on Tuesday, February 25.
The four accused: Chibiko james Okwuonu Amuzuo, Amadi Nathaniel Akokpe, Junior Aleru and Ezims Aleru are facing trial for the alleged murder of the human rights lawyer in 2016.
In an interview, a private legal practitioner, Enahoro Sam Dakare, who said he has “fiat” of the Attorney-General of Rivers State to prosecute the case, said: “This is a matter involving death and murder of a colleague, late Kenneth Atsuete, a human rights lawyer, who died in the hands of the defendants apparently. The matter came up today for trial. The prosecution had two witnesses and the court was poised to allow us take the two witnesses today but the defendants particularly the third and fourth defendant, their counsel was not in court and no plausible reason was given for it and we had to adjourn for continuation of trial”.
He said that the matter has dragged on since 2017 when the accused were charged before the court for the alleged murder of the late human rights lawyer.
He said the accused persons are charged for murder, kidnapping and membership of secret cult.
Dakare said the court could not go on with the trial because it wanted to give fairness to parties in the suit.
He said he`s prosecuting the case because the law allows him to prosecute on behalf of the state government, saying he has authorization by state government.
The prosecuting counsel said: “The law allows a private legal practitioner to take matters of this nature and prosecute on behalf of the state for a successful end result to issues of this nature. You will recall the thorny nature with which the matter was being played out when the incident happened, the picture is completely different from the nature of the investigative reports and all documents we have in order to have a successful prosecution”.
He said the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when they took their plea.
The four accused were brought to court on Tuesday in prison uniform.
The late human rights lawyer was killed in 2016 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by unidentified gunmen.
