By Kayode Adeoti
An Ilorin Magistrate Court will today (Thursday) resume hearing on the criminal allegation instituted against the immediate past National President of the Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU), Alhaji Abdul Hamid Adi.
It will be recalled that the court presided over by Magistrate Abubakar Mohammad Ndakene at the last sitting, ordered the accused to appear at the next sitting after several absence.
Ndakene at the last sitting, ruled on an oral application which was instituted against Adi by Shehu Abdullahi Magaji and Dr.Tajudeen Ishola and moved by Barr. Olusola Olaolu, who appeared on behalf of her principal, Oba Abdulquadri Magaji.
Olaolu, had raised the application requesting for the issuance of a bench warrant against Adi following his alleged deliberate refusal to appear in court in order to answer the charges levelled against him by the two members of the leading socio-cultural organisation in the emirate (IEDPU) which the accused led between 2013 and 2017.
She argued that Adi was intentionally evading appearance in court despite summon duly issued to him last year, noting that the act was a show of contempt for the court.
She added that issuing a bench warrant would compel the former IEDPU boss to appear in person as required by law for the trial to start in earnest.
However, counsel to Adi, Lukman Zakariyah informed the court that the absence of his client was not deliberate saying it was based on the alteration made on the summon received by him.
In his ruling, Magistrate Ndakene condemned the disposition of Adi to the case which he said was a show of clear disrespect to the court.
He said as far as the matter before him was concerned, Adi had no choice but to appear in court.
He therefore ordered that the former IEDPU boss should appear before the court today (Thursday 8th February) to continue hearing on the matter.
