The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned the trial of five men charged with concealing the whereabouts of former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, till Oct. 5.
Reports indicated that the trial, which was set to begin before Justice Peter Lifu, could not proceed as the court did not sit.
The matter was then adjourned to October 5 after the court’s annual vacation.
The Department of State Services (DSS) arraigned the five defendants, Reuben Ayuba, Musa Mohammed, Friday Paul, Paganengigha Anagaha and Ayebaifie Suobite, before a Federal High Court, Abuja on July 1.
They were charged with two counts bordering on conspiracy and for allegedly being accessories after the commission of a felony by hiding Sylva’s whereabouts.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to charges labelled FHC/ABJ/CR/299/2026.
After the plea, the prosecution counsel, E.G. Orubor, urged the court to fix a date for trial to enable the government to lead its evidence.
Court Orders ₦5 Million Bail
Justice Lifu admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of ₦5 million with two sureties in the like sum.
The judge ordered that the sureties must be residents of Abuja and must produce their tax clearance certificates.
The bail applications were filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sunusi Musa, among other lawyers to the defendants.
The court had originally fixed July 22 for the trial to begin before it was adjourned on Wednesday.
In the first count, the prosecution alleged that the defendants on or about April 28 in Abuja, concealed the whereabouts of Sylva, knowing that he was wanted by law enforcement agencies.
The government charged them with becoming accessories after the fact of a felony, an offence it said was contrary to Section 519 of the Criminal Code Act.
The second count alleged that the defendants conspired to conceal the former governor’s whereabouts in breach of section 516 of the Criminal Code Act.
The charges are only allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Sylva Testifies in Separate Trial
Sylva, who is said to be on the run, was also mentioned in another case before another judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
That case involves six defendants accused of conspiring to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.
They are: retired Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Navy Capt. Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.
The Federal Government preferred a 13 count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026 against the six defendants.
Court documents reportedly said Sylva was on the run, though he was not named as a defendant in the charge, and alleged he had financial connections to the accused.
Sylva served as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources in the administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The individual charges against him and the six defendants remain before the court and have not been decided.
