- No Date Fixed For Next Hearing
Rivers State High Court sitting in Nchia, Eleme yesterday failed to sit over the trial of the President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Fegalo Nsuke and 11 others over contempt as the trial judge , Hon. Justice C.D. Green failed to show up in court.
The case is in respect of contempt proceedings brought against the president of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Fegalo Nsuke, and 11 other members of the MOSOP Central Committee seeking to commit them to prison for failing to obey a judgment of same court delivered on May 4, 2020..
But Nsuke had challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter citing a pending appeal at the appellate court. A preliminary objection was subsequently filed in this respect.
The court yesterday was to hear the preliminary objection challenging its jurisdiction to hear the matter. The Preliminary Objection amongst others argued that the judgment in question was already being challenged at the Court of Appeal in Appeal Court No. CA/PH/266/2020 and therefore Nsuke cannot be held contemptuous in respect of the said judgment.
But due to the judge’s absence, the trial could not proceed and no date was fixed for the next hearing. Court officials who addressed lawyers said the presiding judge, Constance. Green had an official engagement which prevented her from being in court yesterday.
There was a massive turnout of Nsuks’s sympathizers who cheered in solidarity.
We will keep you updated as this story unfolds.
