Alleged attempted murder: Trial of 20 ex-PTD leaders stalled over defendant’s detention in Calabar

The trial of 20 former leaders of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, was stalled on Wednesday due to the absence of the defendants, who are currently in detention in Calabar.
The suspects are standing trial before Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, for attempted murder.
A 19th defendant, Adamu Ibrahim, said to be in custody at the Calabar Correctional Centre, could not be brought before the judge on Wednesday.
The former union leaders, including a one-time PTD National Chairman, Lucky Osesua, are being prosecuted in the suit marked FCT/HC/CR/042/2023 before Justice Yusuf Halilu, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on a five-count charge bordering on attempted murder, breach of peace, and assault.
The defendants were alleged to have attacked the NUPENG National President, Mr Williams Akporeha, the union’s Secretary-General, Olawale Afolabi, and the new PTD National Chairman, Augustine Egbon, thereby acting in a manner likely to cause their deaths, among other allegations against them.
Also charged alongside Osesua are Dayyabu Garga, Humble Obinna, Akinolu Olabisi, Godwin Nwaka, Tiamiu Sikiru, Abdulmimin Shaibu, and John Amajuoyi.
Others include Adamu Ibrahim, Zaira Aregbo, Patrick Erhivwor, Stephen Ogheneruemu, Gift Ukponku, and Sunday Ezeocha, along with seven others.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the resumed hearing today, the prosecuting counsel, David Kaswe, informed the court that one of the defendants, Adamu Ibrahim, was not present.
The lead counsel for all the defendants, Christopher Oshemegie, SAN, told the court that Ibrahim was in custody at the correctional facility in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The senior counsel explained that he had been informed that the 19th defendant had a domestic issue due to ignorance of the environment, adding that Ibrahim’s bail was being processed in Calabar.
Responding, the prosecutor stated that there was a report that Ibrahim had committed an offence in Calabar.
According to Kaswe, Ibrahim was alleged to have impregnated his teenage daughter, which was the primary reason he was in custody.
Kaswe then told the court that the prosecution was ready to proceed with the trial in Ibrahim’s absence and urged the court to activate the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA 2015 to continue the case without him.
Justice Halilu, however, noted that at the last sitting, Ibrahim had been present in court and that this was the first time the court was hearing about his alleged offence in Calabar.
The judge added that, in the interest of justice, the 19th defendant should be given one last chance to appear before the court for the trial, failing which the case would proceed in his absence.
Based on the agreement of both parties, Justice Halilu subsequently adjourned the case to 19 May for a definite hearing.
On 27 January, when the matter last came up, the absence of the second prosecution witness, PW2, Williams Akporeha, the NUPENG President, stalled the hearing. He was said to have been out of the country and unable to attend court due to a flight delay caused by bad weather.
Akporeha had previously testified before the court on Wednesday, 23 October 2024, narrating how attempts were made on his life and those of Afolabi and Egbon on 1 November 2023, declaring that he feared for his safety.
According to him, while he narrowly escaped being lynched by the defendants, Afolabi and Egbon were not as fortunate, as they were brutally attacked before the arrival of policemen from Utako Police Station.
Alleged attempted murder: Trial of 20 ex-PTD leaders stalled over defendant’s detention in Calabar