On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja freed a journalist, Rotimi Jolayemi, commonly known as Oba Akewi, from claims of insulting former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
In a verdict, Justice Emeka Nwite discharged Jolayemi after the case was dismissed for lack of diligence.
The case, which was scheduled for plea on today’s cause list, was unable to advance due to the absence of the prosecution counsel, Joseph Offor, causing the defendant’s lawyer, Soji Toki, to request that the case be dismissed.
Toki reminded the court that the prosecution had not appeared in court since Offor appeared on March 30 after the case was allocated to the judge.
The judge allowed Toki’s request to be declared non-contested and dismissed the accusation.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the case was initially assigned to Justice Anwuli Chikere in 2020, before her retirement.
After being charged for suspected dissemination of an audio recording that generated discomfort, ill-will, hostility, and insults towards the minister, Justice Chikere ordered Jolayemi’s remand.
The defendant was remanded in the Nigeria Police Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department Headquarters in Abuja pending the determination of his bail application, according to the judge.
He was later granted bail, and the case was remanded to Justice Nwite.
The complainant was the Inspector-General of Police, and Jolayemi was the single defendant in a one-count case marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/105/2020.
The prosecution was in court on March 30 when the case was heard by Nwite.
However, he did not appear in court on June 15, and the case was postponed until today (October 18).
Jolayemi, who hosts a Yoruba radio show called “Bi aye se ri” on Osun State Broadcasting Service and Radio Kwara, was arrested by police on May 5, 2020, for delivering a poem critical of the minister.
Jolayemi, the Vice-Chairman of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters Association of Nigeria, Osun State Chapter, was later transported to Abuja for trial.