The FCT High Court in Apo, Abuja, on Monday adjourned the ongoing trial of Abuja-based lawyer Victor Giwa and his co-defendant, Ibitade Bukola, for the seventh time. The duo is facing charges of alleged forgery and impersonation, including claims of faking documents and impersonating Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Awa Kalu, to mislead the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF). The adjournment was granted despite strong opposition from the prosecution, who argued that the delays were unjustified.

Prosecution counsel, T.Y. Silas, highlighted that this was the seventh adjournment requested by Giwa and the fourth time he had changed legal representation to delay proceedings. Silas argued that the first defendant had exhausted the statutory limits for adjournments under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and the Constitution, noting that litigation should not be allowed to drag indefinitely.

Counsel for the second defendant, Ogbu Aboje, explained that Ahmed Raji, SAN, intended to take over the case but was briefed only a day earlier, and appealed for a short adjournment in the interest of justice. The court acknowledged the repeated delays and the pattern of changing legal representation, but ruled that a brief adjournment was necessary to allow proper preparation of the defence.

The trial judge noted that Giwa had previously appeared with over 30 different counsel, including three Senior Advocates of Nigeria, and had attempted various petitions to delay proceedings. The matter was adjourned to February 4 for the continuation of the hearing, with the court emphasizing that it would rely on evidence rather than tactics aimed at stalling the trial.