The judgment on plea bargain in the ongoing trial of 10 defendants charged with sodomy and assault of two women and a minor at Oba Morufu Market, Ejigbo, was on Monday stalled before an Igbosere High Court, Lagos.
Many of the suspects are market leaders.
According to the prosecution, the defendants had in 2014 tortured with pepper and sodomised Mrs Ajoke Agomo, her daughter, Nike Salami, and her stepdaughter, Juliana Agomo, over alleged pepper theft.
During a virtual court proceeding on Monday, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, adjourned the case until Aug. 4 for judgment.
Ipaye said that there this was due to absence of interpreters for two of the defendants.
“It is a fact that the constitutional rights of a defendant to have the matter interpreted to him in a language he understands cannot be breached.
“The matter cannot go on today; it is, therefore, adjourned until Aug. 4, and the prosecution should ensure that both a Yoruba and an Hausa interpreter are provided,” she said.
The first defendant, Isaka Waidi, a market leader, had sometimes in March filed a plea bargain application of guilt to the charges to secure his freedom.
He contended that since his arrest in 2014, he had been remanded in prison, and would have served his jail terms in case he was found guilty.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all the counsel, Mr Akin George for prosecution, Mr Kayode Ademiloye and Mr J. H. Bashir, for the defendants, were present at the proceeding.
NAN reports that the market leader, Waidi (61); Buhari Yusuf (22); Abdullahi Haruna (20); and Saheed Adisa (29), are standing trial for the alleged torture and sodomy.
Others are: Lateef Tijani (37); Ahmed Adisa (65); Azeez Akinosun (36); Jimoh Busari (50); Adekunle Adenuga (38) and Oloruntoyin Dauda (46) Woman leader in the market.
They are facing a 19-count charge bordering on conspiracy, attempted murder, sexual assault, maliciously administering poison, obtaining money by false pretences and deprivation of liberty.
The suspects are also said to be members of the Oodua peoples Congress.
