CONTINUING CASE OF OYO COMMISSIONER OF POLICE VS ABBEY TROTSKY OVER SUPPORT GIVEN TO STRIKING SUMAL FOOD WORKERS IN IBADAN
The case of trumped-up criminal charges which was instituted against Comrade Abiodun Bamigboye, (Abbey Trotsky) by the Zone 11 of Nigerian Police Oshogbo under the former leadership of retired DIG Leye Oyebade at the behest of SUMAL FOOD LIMITED, Ibadan came up again on Wednesday 7th July, 2021 at Magistrate Court 6, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State.
The matter is in connection with the solidarity Comrade Abbey Trotsky and other members of the Campaign for Democratic and Workers Rights, CDWR, gave to the struggle against poor pay and slavery working conditions embarked upon between 2nd and 4th of October, 2019 by hundreds of youths, men and women used as causal workers by SUMAL FOOD LIMITED, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The proceeding started with the report of the unfavorable judgment delivered by Hon. Mr. Justice O.M Olagunju of Court 5 of the Oyo State High Court over whether or not Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), a counsel defending Abbey Trotsky, is qualified to appear at a magistrate court being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.
The Police Prosecutor who gave the report of the judgment which was delivered on the 30th June, 2021, informed the court that the judgment was an affirmation of the ruling delivered by Magistrate, M.A Amole-Ajimoti (Mrs) on the December 5 2019 which disqualified Mr Olumide-Fusika from acting in this case as he is a SAN.
Comrade Abbey Trotsky, who has been appearing in person at the Magistrate Court since the disqualification of Mr Olumide-Fusika as his counsel of choice, affirmed the report given by the police prosecutor and pleaded for an adjourned date that will allow him to make sufficient consultations with his counsel over the judgment.
Comrade Abbey Trotsky plea was expressly granted by the Magistrate and the matter was adjourned to August 19, 2021 for hearing. This is against the September 8, 2021 pleaded for by the counsel watching brief for the SUMAL FOOD LIMITED who claimed that their witness may not be available until September.
We of the CDWR express our appreciation to the Citipoint Chambers and Ola Adeosun Victoria Chambers for their consistent legal support. We also thank journalists who came to cover the court proceeding and subsequent protest organized outside the court premises. We commend members of civil society organizations like CORE, AWC and trade unions (NASU, TUC ) for their solidarity. We equally appreciate the international solidarity from different sections of the Committee for a Workers’ International, CWI, particularly members of Socialist Party in England and Wales.
We say thumbs up to comrades, supporters and collaborators who have held one action or the other since the matter started and similar ones for their unflinching solidarity. We shall continue to rely on your support, solidarity and joint actions over all the court cases , both criminal and civil, and for struggle against casualization, slave condition, poor pays and injustice in workplaces across the state and the country at large.
Abiodun Bamigboye For the CDWR, Oyo State Chapter
E-mail: [email protected]