By Innocent Anaba

The Chief Magistrate’s Court, Ota, Ogun State, yesterday, adjourned till November 21 to hear the application filed by Mr. Joachim Iroko, the man charged to court for naming his dog Buhari, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.

At the hearing in the matter, yesterday, before Chief Magistrate B. Ojikutu, Mr Ebun Adegboruwa, counsel to Iroko, informed the court that the defence had filed two applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court, but that the prosecutor had declined service of the said applications, preferring that the motions be served on his office at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

Consequently, Adegboruwa urged the court to suspend the trial since the defendant was challenging the jurisdiction of the court.

Adegboruwa also applied to the court to direct the prosecutor to furnish the defence with the proof of evidence for the case.

After hearing arguments from Adegboruwa, the court agreed to hear the applications challenging the jurisdiction of the court, which was then fixed for November 21.

The court also directed the prosecutor to furnish the defence with the proof of evidence in the case, which was complied with immediately.

Mr. Iroko was charged before the court on August 22 on a one-count charge.

He was granted bail, but as he could not afford money to perfect his bail, he was remanded in prison custody, while the case was adjourned to September 21.

Mr. Iroko, upon his release from prison custody, later briefed Adegboruwa and some other lawyers, who all offered to defend him, pro bono.

On September 16, Mr. Iroko, through his lawyer, Adegboruwa, filed an application before the court, asking the Magistrate to dismiss the criminal charge, as the conduct complained of did not disclose any criminal offence.