Hearing in the case of a photo journalist, Benedict Uwalaka, who was allegedly assaulted by Bayo Ogunsola, the Director of TOS Funerals, in 2012, on Wednesday suffered another setback at a Somolu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
The court, for the umpteenth time, adjourned the case.
Ogunsola, 28, is facing trial on a two-count charge of assault and wilful damage.
The prosecutor, Inspector Nurudeen Thomas, told the court that the accused committed the offences on August 9, 2012 at about 11.30am at TOS Mortuary, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
The offences contravened Sections 171 and 348 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, according to Thomas.
Ogunsola, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Chief Magistrate, B.O. Osunsanmi, had granted bail to the accused on self-recognition and further adjourned the case to September 30 for further cross- examination.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that 15 members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Lagos State Council, who were present in court, displayed various placards demanding immediate justice in the matter.
Odifa Adebayo, the Assistant Secretary of the union, told NAN that the case had dragged on for too long and had suffered too many adjournments.
Adebayo said: The court keeps adjourning the case and with not-much developments.
“This case has been on since 2012 and I believe judgment should have been served by now.”
NAN reports that Ogunsola was first arraigned on August 31, 2012 before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on a two-count charge of assault and wilful destruction.
The case was subsequently adjourned to February 28, 2013 for further hearing.
Nwalaka and one Kola Olasupo, who are photo journalists with the Leadership and ThisDay Newspapers respectively, were beaten and brutally assaulted during the coverage of the release of the remains of the victims of DANA airline plane crash at Ikeja General Hospital.
Ogunsola and other officials of the mortuary allegedly assaulted Uwalaka when he and his colleagues went to cover the event.
He was charged with a two-count offence on assault and wilful destruction of professional camera worth N715,000.
Ogunsola, however, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge levelled against him before the Magistrate, E.O. Ogunkanmi.
NAN.
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