A High Court sitting in Warri, Delta State, has fixed June 23, 2017 for judgement in a case between the state government and one Mr Samuel Esiegbuya.
The presiding judge, Justice T O Uloho, fixed the judgement day after adoption of the final written addresses of both parties by their counsel on Thursday.
The state government, who is the Complainant/Respondent, was represented by Mr Henry Siantebe, while M E Sajere represented Esiegbuya, the Accused/Applicant in a Suit No. W/329c/2016.
When the case was called, counsel to the accused, Sajere, told the Court that he relied on all the information in his written addresses.
Similarly, the state government’s counsel, Siantebe said on behalf of the government that “we humbly adopt the information therein as our arguments”.
Esiegbuya was arraigned on a one-count-charge of demanding, by written threat, an offence punishable under Section 407 of the Criminal Code Law Cap C 21, Vol. 1 Laws of Delta, 2006.
The accused was alleged to have sent written threat messages to one Mr Jimoh Francis with purported settlement through e-mail while in prison custody at the Nigerian Prison, Okere in Warri South Local Government Area.
Earlier in February 2017, Justice Uloho ruled that the Court was guided by three main factors which were: the nature of the offence, punishment of the offence and the nature of evidence against the Applicant.
“The grant of bail is not to set an Accused/Applicant free, but to ensure the Applicant is present at the trial of the offence against him.
The Applicant was remanded in prison custody since on the June 2, 2015.
The Court holds view that from the mature of the offence coupled with the punishment of the offence for which the Applicant is charged with.
“In the interest of justice to grant bail to the Applicant, accordingly, bail is hereby granted to the Applicant in the sum of Two Million Naira and one Surety in like sum,” she said.
It will also be recalled that when the matter came up for hearing on January 25, 2017, counsel to the Respondent, Siantebe told the Court that the application of bail of the Applicant had been overtaken by events.
He added in his counter affidavit that the Applicant was standing trial at the Effurun High Court for an offence bordering on “Kidnapping and demanding with menace against the Applicant.”