KEY POINTS

• The murder trial of Arise News anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu was adjourned to April after prosecutors failed to appear in court.
• This is the second delay in days, following an earlier disruption when defendants were not produced in court.
• Eleven suspects face charges of conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder over the fatal attack that killed Maduagwu and a security guard.

The trial of suspects accused of killing Somtochukwu Maduagwu, an anchor with Arise News, suffered another setback on Thursday after prosecutors failed to appear before the FCT High Court in Jabi, Abuja.

Defence counsel informed the court that the prosecuting lawyer, Adama Musa, was engaged in another case at a different court and had requested an adjournment.

Lawyers representing the defendants raised no objection, prompting presiding judge Mohammed Idris to grant the request and reschedule proceedings for 21 April.

While approving the delay, the judge cautioned all parties to coordinate their schedules to avoid further interruptions, stressing that consistent hearings would help ensure the case concludes before year’s end.

Court officials then directed the Nigerian Correctional Service to return the accused persons to custody.

Thursday’s development was not the first disruption. Earlier in the week, proceedings were also stalled when correctional authorities failed to produce the defendants in court.

The repeated delays have raised concerns about the pace of justice in a case that has drawn public attention due to the high-profile nature of the victims and the brutality of the crime.

The trial centres on a fatal robbery that claimed the lives of Ms Maduagwu, a journalist with ARISE TV, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, during an attack at Unique Apartment in Katampe, Abuja.

Eleven Suspects Face Serious Charges

Police investigations following the incident led to the arrest and arraignment of 11 suspects. In January, they were formally charged with nine counts including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder.

After arraignment, the court ordered that they be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending trial.

Two witnesses who testified earlier recounted how masked attackers stormed the apartment complex, robbed residents of valuables, and shot the victims.

Despite detailed descriptions of the incident, neither witness could identify any of the accused because the assailants concealed their faces during the attack.

Their testimonies nevertheless form part of the prosecution’s effort to reconstruct the events of the night and establish a timeline linking the suspects to the crime.