Journalist Henry Ibya's Prosecution: Court Encourages Dialogue For The Parties

The trial of Journalist Henry Ibya has continued in the Chief Magistrate and High Courts of Justice in Makurdi, Benue State. 

When the matter came before Justice Shishi of the State High Court today, counsel to the plaintiff argued that the time for filing defence was over and that the process deemed to have been served on the defendant for the trial to get started. 

With the development, the Counsel continued that pleadings be regarded as closed therefore "I apply for the date of the trial to commence!"

But the defendant's counsel, Orva Alu Esq objected to the argument when he stated that the circumstance got beyond control of what the plaintiff's counsel wanted to happen. In that regard, the counsel sought adjournment for the matter to come up another day 

Ruling on arguments, Justice Shishi granted April 15, 2026 for the commencement of the trial.

 Meanwhile the trial judge had encouraged the two parties to embrace dialogue. He advised that the useful approach was necessary to resolve the civil and not criminal liability out of court if doing so would be in the interest of justice.

The Commissioner of Police had dragged Journalist Ibya to the Chief Magistrate Court in April, 2025 on the strength of a complaint by the Director of ICT, Mr. Terna Abuul of the Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi. The news item reported by Henry Ibya and published in one of the online national news outlets caused the problem!

Details of the report bordered on the alleged frequent breakdown of the institution's portal used by students to pay fees. The report indicated that the university may have lost billions of naira through the suspicious porius process! 

It added that prior to the news break, the management had suspended the ICT Director, Bursar of the institution and another top official to avoid uninterrupted investigation of the alleged problem!

The Director of ICT felt injured by the report and took Henry Ibya to the Commissioner of Police for action.

Acting on the complaint, the police took the journalist in custody and equally pressed charges on the accused at the Chief Magistrate Court in Makurdi. Those charges included cyber stalking and defamation among others.

Following the development, the Magistrate remanded Journalist Ibya in custody of the Makurdi Correctional facility while the bail got perfected later for his temporary release.

When trial begun fully at the State Magistrate Court, the prosecution counsel argued later that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter and the Magistrate granted the permission to proceed to the State High Court even as the Magistrate fixed March 11, 2026 for the consideration of the case.

The emerging circumstance has influenced this reporter's decision to approach counsel to Henry Ibya, Barrister Orva Alu who held the brief for the senior Counsel, Elder Tom Uja Esquire to clarify why his client Ibya is still standing trial in the courts notwithstanding unconfirmed reports that the university allegedly punished already, some of the officials who have taken the journalist to the two courts of law? The inquiry became informed by the alleged indictment of the officials by the institution's internal investigative committees.

According to sources, the Vice Chancellor under whose tenure the alleged financial infractions occurred was forced to proceed on terminal leave and never returned as Vice Chancellor till his tenure ended completely.

Similarly, although, the ICT Director was reported to have been asked by the university to step aside for its internal investigative process to move without interference, the ICT Director reportedly remains out of the office or university nearly one year, despite the fact that the institution denied earlier of suspending him! 

Reports added that the other officials accused by virtue of their offices connected to the university's financial systems were not spared equally of the punishment! 

Under the circumstance, why has the defendant's counsel not joined the university in the suit to testify innocence of the ICT Director since doing so may clarify guilt or otherwise of the journalist dragged to the courts of law? 

This reporter sought also the clarification why Henry Ibya has been dragged to the court instead of the online national media platform in which his news report was published? 

But Barr. Orva Alu declining comment, stated however that the case file for the client prepared by senior Counsel Tom Uja was yet accessible. In such situation, Alu Esquire clarified that it would not be right to preempt outcome of the process prepared by the learned senior Counsel Tom Uja!