The absence of Justice Aliya Nganjiwa of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Thursday stalled the trial of Yunusa Dahiru, aka Yellow, the alleged abductor of 14-year-old Ese Oruru.
Dahiru is standing trial on five counts of criminal abduction, illicit sex, sexual exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor, Ese.
Ese Oruru was allegedly abducted by Yunusa Dahiru from Bayelsa State in August 2015 and taken to Kano State where she was converted to Islam and married off without the consent of her parents.
The 14-year-old girl was on Thursday, last week, delivered of a baby girl at the Bayelsa State Government House Clinic, Yenagoa.
Justice Nganjiwa had adjourned the matter to June 2 for hearing on the substantive suit, having granted the prosecution request to take the evidence of Ese in private.
However, the court did not sit on Thursday as the trial judge, it was learnt, was away for a meeting.
As early as 9am, journalists and rights activists had thronged the premises of the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, only to learn that the court was not sitting.
Confirming the development, lead counsel for the accused, Kayode Olaosebikan, said he was not informed of the Judge's absence.
He added that he was only informed of the development on his arrival at the court.
Olaosebekan said, "We are here in the court for the hearing but unfortunately, the presiding judge is absent and from what we have been told, he is out of the state to attend a meeting.
"According to the information before us, a new date on the matter will be fixed on Monday, June 6."
