Court discharges 4 in Royal Anchor estate electricity dispute

A Senior Magistrate Court in Karu, Abuja, has discharged four officials and workers of Royal Anchor Estate, ending a criminal case that had been stalled by the complainant's repeated absences. The defendants, Henry Ortese, Attahiru Musa, Tanko Pani, and Abraham Osezu, were formally cleared in case number CR/124/24.

The legal proceedings originated from a dispute concerning access to the estate's electricity infrastructure. The court ultimately dismissed the case after rejecting a further request for adjournment and siding with the defense's argument that the complainant had not demonstrated sufficient commitment to prosecute the matter.

Defense counsel Joe Abah had urged the court to dismiss the complaint, highlighting the consistent absence of the complainant, Abolarinwa Olatunbosun, and the resulting delays. Counsel for Olatunbosun's lawyer sought another adjournment, citing the lawyer's engagement in a separate case and Olatunbosun's absence from Nigeria, with an expected return at the end of June.

However, Abah countered that the court had already granted multiple adjournments without significant progress. He noted that the parties last appeared in court on December 15, 2025, with subsequent hearings on February 11, April 23, and May 14, all failing to proceed meaningfully due to the complainant's non-appearance. Abah argued that Olatunbosun should have taken steps to ensure his presence or provide a valid reason, citing Section 351 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which allows dismissal for a complainant's failure to appear after due notification.

Presiding Senior Magistrate Punarinam Balogun reviewed the case history and acknowledged the repeated adjournments. Balogun emphasized that granting an adjournment requires judicial discretion and noted that the complainant's counsel could have submitted a formal written explanation for the absences. Without sufficient grounds, the magistrate dismissed the complaint and discharged the defendants. The case was linked to a disagreement over Olatunbosun's attempt to connect his property to the estate's network without paying a N4 million infrastructure levy reportedly paid by other residents.