Absence of the second defendant, Tuesday, stalled judgment in the case of dethroned Baale (Chief) of Shangisha in Magodo, Lagos State, charged with faking his kidnap.
The chief, Mutiu Ogundare, is standing trial alongside his wife, Abolanle, and brother, Opeyemi Mohammed.
They are facing a three-count charge bordering on breach of peace and fake kidnapping.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court had, on May 9, adjourned the judgment, due to absence of the second defendant, Mohammed, who was ill.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi had said that provisions of law would be applied if the defendant would not be present at the next adjourned date.
On Tuesday, counsel to Mohammed, Dr Yinka Owoeye, still informed the court that his client was absent due to ill-health.
He prayed the court to give him another opportunity to be present.
“I will leave everything at the discretion of the court if he does not show up at the next date of adjourned date.
“He is not the type that will abscond, because he was always around during trial,” Owoeye said.
Counsel to Ogundare and his wife, Olarenwaju Ajanaku, did not object to Owoeye’s prayer.
Prosecution counsel, Jubril Kareem, however, urged the court to apply the provisions of law if the defendant would be absent at the next adjourned date.
“My lord, counsel to the second defendant cannot say where the defendant is.
“I pray the court to apply the provisions of law at the next date of adjournment if the defendant fails to show up,” he said.
According to prosecution, the defendants committed the offences on July 5, 2017.
It said that Ogundare put himself forward to be kidnapped for the purpose of causing breach of public peace, adding that his brother and wife aided in the crime.
Recall that former Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos, in July 2017, ordered removal of Ogundare as the Baale of Shangisha, for allegedly staging his abduction.
The alleged offences contravene Section 7(1) and (2) of Lagos State Kidnapping Prohibition Law of 2017, and Section 16(1) (a-d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.