A high court in Makurdi has set October 22 for a pre-trial conference in the case against Henry Ibya, a correspondent with Al-Jazirah newspaper. Justice Shishi postponed proceedings on Wednesday after discovering that the defence team hadn't submitted all required documents to the court.
The judge ordered both sides to complete their filings before the scheduled pre-trial date. One of Ibya's lawyers, O.A.
Alu, told reporters the conference would help the parties identify disputed issues and resolve matters that both sides agree on.
The case stems from a complaint lodged by Terna Abuul, who holds the position of director of information and communication technology at Moses Orshio Adasu University in Makurdi. Abuul objected to a publication he attributed to Ibya.
Police subsequently charged Ibya at a chief magistrate court in Makurdi with offences including cyberstalking. The high court's decision now moves the matter toward the pre-trial phase before the main trial begins.
Ibya faces additional legal challenges in other courts across Benue State arising from the same petition. The pre-trial conference will allow both the defence and prosecution to narrow the key questions at issue and settle any undisputed points.
