A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna State has adjourned the hearing of the case filed by the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Shiites), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky against the Nigerian Army and three others.

In the suit, the Shiites, through their lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, are demanding N2 billion as compensation for the invasion and destruction of El-Zakzaky’s houses, the killing of his three sons and other members of the Islamic movement by the Nigerian Army, which they said amounted to the violation of his fundamental human rights.

But at the resumed sitting on the matter on Thursday, hearing on the suit could not go on.

This was because lawyers to the first to the fourth defendants in the suit had filed an objection, describing the matter as an abuse of court process since the applicants had earlier filed a similar suit at a court of same jurisdiction in Abuja.

The applicants, however, filed a counter affidavit, insisting that both suits were different and should be treated separately on their own merit.

The lawyers for the defendants then sought an adjournment to enable them to study the issues raised before the next sitting.

The adjournment, according to the presiding judge, Justice Salisu Shuaibu is as a result of the inability of the defence counsel to identify and argue on the objection that was earlier filed by counsel to the Army and Chief of Army Staff on the alleged abuse of court process by the applicants.

In his ruling, Justice Shuaibu informed both parties that all their objections would be heard on the next adjourned date, June 30, 2017.

Reacting to the ruling, counsel to the IMN and the Attorney General of Kaduna State said the adjournment would afford all the parties involved in the case the time to adequately prepare themselves for the hearing. (Channels TV)

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