The legal tussle between the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun and five retired senior police officers accused of alleged age falsification has hit another brick wall following the failure of the defendants to appear in court.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Prosecution Counsel Rimamsonte Ezekiel informed the court that despite three consecutive adjournments the defendants Benneth Igwe Simon Lough Idowu Owohunwa Ukachi Opara and Obo Ukam were still absent from proceedings. He stressed that their absence was frustrating the progress of the case which involves a 14 count charge bordering on falsification of age records during their service in the Nigeria Police Force.
Ezekiel told the court that while some of the accused are retired others allegedly involved remain at large. He argued that the continuous failure of the defendants to present themselves before the court was a deliberate attempt to stall justice. Consequently he urged the presiding judge to either proceed with the matter in their absence or issue a bench warrant to compel their attendance.
The defendants all of whom once occupied strategic positions within the police hierarchy are being accused of falsifying their age to elongate their years of service. The allegations if proven could have wide implications for the integrity of the Force and its retirement procedures.
The court however reserved its ruling on the prosecutions request with indications that a decisive order may be given at the next sitting. The matter has since been adjourned to a later date.
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