Court Okays Ese Oruru To Give Evidence In Private

Justice Aliya Nganjiwa of a Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday, granted the request of the prosecution to take the evidence of Miss Ese Oruru in private at the resumed pre-trial hearing in the trial of Dahiru Yunusa, aka “Yellow”.Yunusa is facing a five-count charge of

criminal abduction, sexual exploitation and having unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor, Miss Ese Rita Oruru.Granting the application, Justice Nganjiwa, who premised his decision on the provisions
of Section 36 subsections 4 (a) and (b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, said:“The evidence of Miss Ese Oruru would be taken by the court in private and in chambers excluding all persons other than the prosecution, the accused’s counsel, court clerks and prison officials and any other persons if the accused person does not object. “The defence counsel failed to show what injury or harm the accused person would suffer on account of private hearing for the victim, Miss Ese Oruru,”adding that it was only the evidence of Miss Ese Oruru that would be taken in private as other trial would be done in open court.Justice Nganjiwa, who adjourned the matter to June 2 for hearing in the substantive suit, said:“Let me correct the impression that private hearing would jeopardize the hearing of the substantive suit as other trials would be conducted in public.” Reacting, defence counsel, Kayode Olaosebekan, said they had learned a lot from the ruling of the court, describing the decision of the court “as nothing unusual but a superior opinion by the court.”On Yunusa’s bail conditions, Vanguard adds that Olaosebekan disclosed that they had filed a motion in court to review the bail conditions as they were having challenges securing bail for the accused person.