The trial of the Eze Ndigbo of Ajao Estate, Lagos, Frederick Nwajagu, before a Lagos High Court, sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, was on Tuesday stalled due to the absence of his counsel.
He, was charged by the Lagos State Government and was arraigned on May 9, on a nine-count charge bordering on an alleged attempt to commit acts of terrorism, participating in terrorism and meeting to support a proscribed entity.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
The prosecution counsel, Jonathan Ogunsanya, had in a suit marked no: LD/21505C/2023, alleged that the defendant’s acts contravened the provisions of Section 403(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He said that other sections of the law which the offences contravened include 12(a) (c), 18, 21 and 29 of the Terrorism (Prevention & Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Mr Nwajagu was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) over an alleged threat to invite members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to Lagos to secure properties of Igbo people in the state.
When the case came up on Tuesday, the prosecution counsel announced his presence but there was no legal representative for the defendant.
When asked by the court about his counsel, the defendant said that he was surprised about the absence of his counsel.
He said that the lawyer promised him that his junior counsel would be in court.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya adjourned the case until July 5 for trial.
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