Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has struck out bail application filled by former governorship aspirant in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Farah Dagogo following another motion for bail filed at the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt.
Striking out the motion, the judge said it amounted to gross abuse of court process. The proceeding for the day was adjourned for motion on bail application, but prosecution counsel, Chidi Ekeh drew the court’s attention to another application for bail filed at the Court of Appeal.
Counsel to the defendant argued that motion for bail application was first filed in the High Court before the one at the Court of Appeal. The defense counsel tendered a letter indicating that the defendant has relief of the counsel, Innocent Ekwu, who filed the case at Court of Appeal.
The Presiding Judge, Chiwendu Nworgu, after listening to the counsel, struck out the bail application filed by the defense on April 12, 2022, stating that the court cannot preside over a matter before the Court of Appeal since the appellate court was of higher authority.
Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, one of the counsel representing Farah Dagogo, Emmanuel Rukari, said they would take the next step since the application has been struck out.
However,the principal prosecuting counsel representing the state said the case was struck out due to abuse of court process, adding that the hearing on the case would continue in the next adjourned date.
