Benue court begins process towards trial of Al-Jazirah correspondent

A Benue State High Court sitting in Makurdi has fixed October 22 for the pre-trial conference in the case involving Al-Jazirah newspaper correspondent in Benue, Henry Ibya.

Justice Shishi adjourned the matter on Wednesday after it emerged that not all documents filed by the defence had been received by the court, making it impossible to proceed with the scheduled hearing.

The judge subsequently directed the parties to regularise their filings ahead of the pre-trial conference.

Speaking with journalists after the sitting, one of Ibya’s defence lawyers, O.A. Alu explained that the pre-trial conference would enable both parties to identify and narrow the issues in dispute, resolve uncontested matters and prepare the case for substantive hearing.

The case arose from a petition reportedly filed by Terna Abuul, said to be the Director of ICT at Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi, over a publication allegedly authored by the journalist.

Following the petition, the police instituted criminal charges against Ibya, including alleged cyberstalking, before a Chief Magistrate Court in Makurdi.

The High Court’s latest ruling paves the way for the pre-trial stage before the commencement of the substantive hearing.

Ibya is also facing other legal proceedings arising from the same petition in different courts within the state.