The Federal High Court in Lagos has further adjourned the hearing till November 16 in a suit challenging the conviction and sentencing of 237 persons, including a popular actress, Funke Akindele, alias Jenifa, her husband, Abdu Rasheed Bello, aka JJC Skillz, over the violation of Lagos State COVID-19 guidelines.
Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, who had earlier scheduled the case for hearing on Tuesday, said the case would be further adjourned till November 16 “for definite hearing”.
The suit was filed by an activist lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, who is challenging the constitutionality of the Lagos State Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulations 2020, pursuant to which Akindele and others were convicted.
Ogungbeje is seeking a court declaration that “the purported arrest, arraignment, trial, conviction, and sentence of the person/Nigerian citizens under the Lagos State Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulations 2020 for an alleged offence unknown to law and violation of same, which cannot be grounds for criminal liability, is a nullity.”
But the Lagos State Government has filed a preliminary objection, urging the court to dismiss the suit for lacking merit.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had last week granted state pardon to Akindele and her husband.
But Ogungbeje insisted that the case would go on, nonetheless.