A High Court in Makurdi, Benue State, has scheduled October 22 for the pre-trial phase regarding the case of Henry Ibya, an Al-Jazirah newspaper correspondent. Justice Shishi postponed the proceedings on Wednesday due to incomplete document submissions from the defense, which prevented the hearing from moving forward as planned.
The court ordered all involved parties to ensure their legal filings are properly organized before the upcoming conference. O.A. Alu, representing the defense, noted that this stage is essential for streamlining disputed issues and finalizing uncontested facts before the main trial begins.
This litigation stems from a petition submitted by Terna Abuul, the ICT Director at Moses Orshio Adasu University, concerning an article supposedly written by Ibya. Consequently, the police brought criminal charges against the journalist, such as cyberstalking, in a Chief Magistrate Court. While this High Court development prepares the case for a formal hearing, Ibya remains involved in related legal actions across other state courts.
