Mr. Doubra Ogbe, a suspect who is standing murder trial before a Rivers State High Court, has called on the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Adama Iyayi-Lamikanra, to transfer his case to another judge.
Ogbe, who is standing trial for the murder of ex-militant leader, Mr. Soboma George, said he has lost confidence in the ability of the trial judge to give fair judgment on the matter.
Ogbe, the first accused person in case before Justice George Omereji, had alleged that his case was not being properly handled.
The suspect claimed that the Port Harcourt-based human rights lawyer, Ken Atsuwete, was killed by his enemies, noting that Atsuwete had told him that those who brought him (Ogbe) to court were after his (Atsuwete) life.
He said: “All I want now is that they should change the judge hearing my case, for my life is being threatened. I have no confidence in the current judge handling my case. With the information available to me, it is clear that I will not get fair hearing and justice in Justice Omereji’s court.
“When the case was assigned to Justice Omereji, I was informed by my late counsel that when judges are transferred, they take along the matters that are part heard like my case.
“It is unfair to incarcerate me for six years and my trial is still at its preliminary stage. This is a breach of my fundamental rights to fair hearing because my counsel, late Ken Atsuwete informed me that the laws of the land direct courts to conclude cases such as mine within a reasonable time especially when I am still in custody.”
