The Magistrates’ Court sitting in Asaba has adjourned to November 7, 2025, the criminal trial of one Pastor Sunday Ogbogho who is facing prosecution for allegedly assaulting a journalist with tools including a spanner.
Pastor Ogbogho was arraigned before Magistrate Court 4, Asaba, on August 11, 2025, over attack on journalist Kenneth Orusi at No. 5 Elder Ediale Street, off Ibusa Road, Asaba, inflicting head injuries including teeth bite on July 27, 2025.
The case is filed under Case File No. 367/2025 with Mr. Alex Ibe appearing as police prosecutor.
The charge, read in open court, accuses Ogbogho of committing an offence contrary to Section 355 of the Criminal Code, which prescribes punishment for assault occasioning harm. The cleric, however, pleaded not guilty.
Defence counsel, identified as Chris, told the court that Ogbogho is a landlord in Asaba and presented a surety, Engineer Pastor Edih Commissioner, who serves as Director of Operations at the Delta State Direct Labour Agency (DLA).
But the Magistrate expressed reservations about accepting sureties from field officers in government agencies, warning that such officials often prove difficult to trace if defendants jump bail.
“When you take someone on bail, you are telling the court you will ensure they attend trial until the case is disposed of. We have had cases where sureties vanish when defendants abscond,” the Magistrate cautioned.
Despite the reservations, the court granted bail to Pastor Ogbogho in the sum of ₦500,000 with one surety in like sum.
The surety, the court directed, must be a civil servant of at least Grade Level 12 and provide a valid ID, appointment and promotion letters, a current payslip, sworn affidavit, and must also undergo residence verification by both the court and police officers.
In a stern reminder, the Magistrate stressed that “justice is not for sale,” warning against attempts to bribe court staff, lawyers, or middlemen who might claim influence over judicial proceedings.
The matter was initially fixed for August 25, 2025, but has now been adjourned to November 7, 2025, due to the absence of the Police Prosecutor, Alex Ibe, for continuation of hearing.
