Magistrate Court 7, sitting in Calabar judicial division, has adjoined cases involving Odey Oyama and four others to February 14 and 27, 2025, respectively.
Adjoining the matter, Magistrate Okoho Bassey Otu asked the Prosecutor to provide evidence in case No MC/ 20C/2025 and MC/21C/2025 before the next court hearings.
The embattled activist was arrested alongside four others at his hometown in Ikom on January 14, 2025, by the Police on the charge of what they described as promoting “native war” in Effi community in Ikom, which though has not been proven.
The court had on January 23, 2025, granted bail to the defendant and the four others, namely, Alobi Ofuka, Ogbeshi Opene, Samuel Agbor and Konye Eka.
It will be recalled that, in recent times, Oyama has been engaged in a fierce campaign against Chinese business concerns working with indigenous collaborators who are logging the Effi Rainforest, a trend that has resulted in massive deforestation, dissipation of wildlife and loss of biodiversity.
Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, OU Ubi, had pleaded with the court to transfer the casefile to Department of Public Prosecution (DPP), citing section 372 of Cross River State Administration of Criminal Justice Law.
In his argument, the Defense Counsel, Ntufam Sunny Mgbe, pleaded that the matter should be struck out giving that the case lacks merit for lack of evidence against the accused persons.
By Stina Ezin, Calabar