The trial of a former speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Terkimbi Ikyange, was on Wednesday stalled in a Makurdi High Court due to his ill-health.
Ikyange was taken to court by Governor Samuel Ortom for his alleged false comments in a press conference of Monday, July 30, 2018, at which he was said to have accused the governor of deducting N50 million monthly from each of the 23 local government areas of the state amounting to N33 billion.
At the previous court sitting, Ortom had closed his case against the former speaker whose trial was expected to commence on Wednesday.
Ikyange was, however, absent in court.
When the case came up for Ikyange to enter his defence, his counsel, Sunday Akor, informed the court that his client was not present due to ill-health and apologised for his absence.
The defence counsel, therefore, asked for another date to enable his client to open his defence.
Meanwhile, the counsel to Governor Ortom, Samuel Irabor, did not object to the plea for another date.
The trial judge, Justice Augustine Ityonyiman, adjourned the case to February 5, 2021, for Ikyange to enter his defence.
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