The Case of Emeka Ugwuonye against the Nigerian Police Drags On.

Yesterday, at the resumed hearing in the case,

Commissioner of Police v.  Ephraim

Emeka Ugwuonye, it became clear that the case would drag out. This is too typical of Nigerian criminal trials.  Once bail is not immediately granted,  the accused person is as good as having been convicted. This makes nonsense of the notion of presumption of innocence.  The accuser feels that his mission has been accomplished.

As if to further shock everybody, the judge admitted that she had not read the proof of evidence in the case because it was voluminous. What actually made it voluminous was that the police attached volumes of repetitive DPA posts on its Facebook wall.  But the shock came from the fact that by admitting that she had not read the proof of evidence,  the judge admitted that she failed to do what she ought to gave done early in the case.  Emeka Ugwuonye’s bail application called on the court to determine that nothing in the proof of evidence submitted to court linked Emeka Ugwuonye to the offences charged.  That required the court to immediately assess the proof of evidence.  But if court has not read the proof of evidence,  then, how could it have reached its decision on Ugwuonye’s bail application judicially and judiciously?

In yesterday’s trial,  David Aiyedegbon’s cross-examination was completed. It became a problem rescheduling the next hearing date,  as the police prosecutor insisted he would not be available on any of the days suggested in the next two weeks. With Easter close-by, it became harder to agree on a date in April.

Emeka Ugwuonye and his lawyers will focus on securing his bail before the next date set for the continuation of trial.

From every indication,  Ugwuonye and his lawyers are optimistic and upbeat about the outcome of the day’s proceedings.