A Magistrate Court in Effurun, Delta State, on Thursday, ordered the arrest of two absentee defendants and their sureties.
They were charged in a criminal case and involvement in the attack on human rights lawyer Barrister Omes Ogedegbe and another lawyer on August 1, 2024.
The Court was unable to proceed with the hearing on Thursday, due to the defendants’ absence
Prosecution requested the warrant for the arrest of the absent defendants and their sureties, which was granted.
The defendants are to appear in Court on October 4, 2024.
It was learned that parties were also exploring out of Court settlement.
In Nigeria, sureties play a crucial role in bail administration, as outlined in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
If a defendant fails to appear, the Court may order the re-arrest of the accused person and require the sureties to pay the bail amount.
The sureties must be ordinarily resident in the Court’s jurisdiction and meet specific qualifications
