The hearing of the fraud case involving the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, and three others, which was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), experienced another setback on Tuesday.

The case has been adjourned to January 21 and 22, 2024, due to the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, from the Federal High Court in Abeokuta. Justice Abdulmalik is currently on leave.

This marks the fourth time the case has been delayed for various reasons. In November 2022, pre-election matters prevented the court from commencing the hearing. In January 2023, the case was unable to proceed due to the judge’s reported indisposition. Similarly, on March 29, the case was stalled when Justice Abdulmalik was reassigned out of Ogun State for post-election tribunal duties.

On Tuesday, the case was adjourned once again because the judge had taken leave after fulfilling her duties at the election tribunal.

The EFCC had arrested Oluomo and two other high-ranking officers of the assembly on allegations of diverting approximately N2.5 billion. The anti-graft agency filed an 11-count charge against the Speaker and others, including charges related to forgery, conspiracy, and theft from the state treasury.

The primary witness in the case, Dare Kadiri, has fled Nigeria due to alleged threats. Kadiri, a former Deputy Speaker of the Ogun Assembly, confirmed that he left the country to protect himself and his family after reporting the threats to the police and other relevant security agencies. He emphasized the importance of his safety and stated that he had provided a statement to the EFCC as the prime suspect in the forgery and fraud case.

Please note that the information provided is based on the given context, and any further developments or updates regarding the situation may not be reflected in this response.