Alleged assault: Defendant’s absence stalled trial

The trial of a man, Onyeji Ikechukwu, charged with assaulting his girlfriend, was stalled on Tuesday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Zuba, due to his absence.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) charged the defendant with five counts bordering on assaulting one Miss Cynthia Ibeh and inflicting injuries on her.

At the resumed court sitting, the defence counsel, Wisdom Elum, informed the court that the defendant was absent, but the surety, Oluboyo Adebayo, was present in court.

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The surety explained that the defendant, who had been experiencing eye problems, was flown to the United States for medical attention.

The prosecution counsel, Ms. Rose Ibekwe, requested that necessary documents regarding the defendant’s trip be provided in advance so that they could be investigated.

Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya ordered that a scanned copy of the defendant’s travel documents, including passport information showing the Nigerian immigration stamp and the U.S. entry stamp, be provided.

Ogbonnaya also directed that tickets showing the date of departure and return be made available to the court before the next adjourned date, June 9, or else the law would take its course.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution alleged that the defendant stalked the complainant, intimidated and threatened her with a cutlass and grounded pepper, thereby depriving her of her freedom.

She said the incident occurred on Feb. 22, 2023 in Abuja.

The offences, she said, contravened the provisions of Sections 2(1), 4(1), 10(1),17(1), 18(1) of the Violence Against Persons, Prohibition Act, 2015.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.