The Pastor of the House on the Rock in Abuja, Uche Aigbe, facing illegal firearms charges, has filed for a judicial review of his trial at the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
According to PUNCH ONLINE report, Aigbe, along with Olakunle Ogunleye and Promise Ukachukwu, faced charges brought forth by the police in 2023, including “possession of a prohibited firearm, incitement of disturbance, and aiding illegal possession of a firearm.”
Aigbe had, during a Sunday church service in February 2023, mounted the pulpit with an AK-47 rifle to illustrate his sermon titled “Guarding your faith”.
The police alleged that he violated Section 3 of the Firearms Act Cap F28 Law of the Federation.
During the session at the FCT High Court on Monday, March 18, P.H. Ogbole (SAN), representing the accused, informed the court that he had submitted a Motion on Notice, requesting a judicial review of the proceedings at the lower court.
In the Motion on Notice marked M/13706/2023, the lawyer alleged that the magistrates’ court violated their fundamental rights to a fair hearing in one of its proceedings.
He said, “The proceedings of March 28, 2023, at the Zuba Magistrates’ Court, wherein the magistrate descended into the arena of conflict is wrongful, in a clear misapplication of the law and a violation of their fundamental right to a fair hearing.”
He, therefore, urged the high court to declare, among others, ‘’that the proceedings of June 19, 2023, at the magistrates’ court in the trial of the applicants wherein the magistrate admitted a compact disc as an exhibit without viewing the content of the exhibit in the open court is wrongful, in clear misapplication of the law and a violation of their fundamental right to fair hearing.”
However, counsel for the Commissioner of Police, Inah Umoh, urged the court to dismiss the application.
The presiding Judge, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, after listening to the submissions of both counsel, fixed May 15 for ruling on the application.
