Two counsels who were representing a traditionalist, Abdulazeez Adegbola Tani’ Olohun who is standing trial before an Ilorin Magistrate’s Court on alleged defamation on Friday disagreed openly in the court on who is the right person to move a motion on the case.
The two counsels, Mr Mufutau Olobi and Mr Ademola Bank who were both representing openly opposed each other on who is the competent person to withdraw a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the Magistrate’s court in the trial of the case.
Consequently, the trial Chief Magistrate, Mohammed Ibrahim discountinued the hearing of the case and asked all the counsels to pick another date for the hearing of the case.
Tani’ Olohun was standing trial of a five – count charge of alleged criminal conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, disturbance of public peace,criminal defamation of character and intentional insult before the court.
The traditionalist pleaded not guilty to the offence in the court.
At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, Olobi, one of the counsels to Tani’Olohun, was the first to stand up and announced his appearance and introduced Bank as a co-counsel representing Tani’Olohun in the case.
Olobi told the court that they have filed two motions before the it; one challenging the jurisdiction of the court while another motion was filed to seek bail for Tani’Olohun by the court.
He, however, said that they wanted to withdraw the former motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court in the trial of Tal’ Olohun.
He said: “The counsels have agreed that the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to conduct trial in the case be withdrawn forth with .”
While still speaking, another counsel, Bank stood up and said that Olobi was not competent to withdraw the motion since he was not the person that filed iit before the court.
“Your worship, I want to tell the court that my learned colleague is not the right person to withdraw the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court in the trial of the case from the court. I filed the motion before the court and i should be the right person to withdraw it. He is just coming into the case, he should allow me to withdraw the motion before the court.
But, Olobi insisted that he was right to seek the withdrawal of the motion being the most senior counsel representing the defendant in the case.
The trial Magistrate urged the two counsels to seek understanding and reach agreement on the matter in consonance with the provisions of the law.
The counsels to the complainants led by U. S. Imam also intervened and pleaded with the counsels, but they maintained their respective stands.
Chief Magistrate Mohammed later stood up and retired to the inner chamber of the court when the counsels failed to agree and stopped the hearing of the case.
The case was later adjourned till October 30,2023 for continuation of hearing.
