An FCT High Court in Zuba, Abuja has fixed July 10, to hear a no-case submission in the trial of the Medical Director, Alliance Hospital, Dr Christopher Otabor, Emmanuel Olorunlaye, Chikaodili Ugochukwu and Dr Aremu Abayomi over alleged organ harvesting.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) charged the defendants alongside the Hospital with 11 counts bordering on organ harvesting.
Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya fixed the date for all the applications to be heard after Olorunlaye’s defence counsel, Richard Adepoju told the court that the prosecution counsel, Hassan Tahir did not serve him court processes on time.
“We intend to reply on point of law in writing on the prosecution’s reply on Olorunlaye’s no-case submission address. We were served this morning in court.
“It is our constitutional right to be served and do not intend to wave it. The prosecution counsel called me after work on Friday for service and I told him I would pick it up on Monday which I could not,” Adepoju said.
The Prosecution Counsel however said he served the defence counsel in court because all efforts to serve him on time proved abortive.
“We were in his chambers twice which was locked and we called a number written and a lady said she would come on Friday for service but did not, they do not have an email address in their process else we would have sent it through. We oppose to an adjournment to reply on point of law,” Tahir added.
Afam Odigwe, SAN, counsel to the other defendants said that the reason not to effect service is immaterial adding that it was a constitutional right to respond.
Adepoju moved a motion dated May 22, seeking leave to appeal the ruling of the court earlier made on May 21, admitting Olorunlaye’s confessional statement and supporting his motion with a 12-paragraph affidavit and attached with one exhibit. He however urged the court to grant his prayers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution alleged that Olorunlaye procured two 17-year-old boys and a 25-year-old man, Aminu Yahuza for the removal of their kidneys at the said hospital located in Area 11, Garki, Abuja sometime in February 2023.
Tahir said that Ugochukwu, an Administrative Secretary at the hospital, assisted in the removal of the kidneys of the victims in the said hospital. The prosecution further alleged that Otabor accommodated the victims at Alliance Hospital for the removal of their kidneys while Abayomi, a surgeon at the hospital, performed the operations.
The offence, he said contravened the provisions of sections 20(2)(a)(3) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 and was punishable under the same section(2)(b).
The defendants however pleaded not guilty.