The NBA was reacting to a viral video on February 15, 2021, of a man, Olupelumi Fagboyegun, who made an allegation of pervasion of justice against the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice O.O. Akeredolu.
The Ondo State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association has lambasted the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice over his refusal to hear the parties involved in a case of perversion of justice.
The NBA was reacting to a viral video on February 15, 2021, of a man, Olupelumi Fagboyegun, who made an allegation of pervasion of justice against the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice O.O. Akeredolu.
In the said video, Fagbogun had alleged that he had been facing trial for an offence that attracted only one year imprisonment for upward of three years.
He claimed that the Ondo State Chief Judge was using her office to pervert the course of justice which had kept him in ‘open remand’ for three years and therefore solicited the assistance of Nigerians to help him.
The Akure NBA Chapter in a release signed by Chairman, Rotimi Olorunfemi, and Secretary, Ademola Ikujuni, said that the “hurriedly prepared report of the investigation by the office of the AG” did not give the Chief Judge and the other party a fair hearing.
The NBA Akure said, “Immediately, the attention of the Chairman of the Akure Branch of the NBA was drawn to the video, he forwarded same to the Honourable Chief Judge and the Chief Registrar of the Ondo State High Court requesting for a quick reaction by the Ondo State Judiciary to the allegations of Mr. Fagboyegun in the said video.
“At the level of the Bar, we also launched an independent investigation into the allegation of Mr Fagboyegun to get an informed opinion. [story_link align="left"]90457[/story_link]
“On these, our investigation revealed that the said Mr. Fagboyegun was not in any form of remand, detention, or incarceration as he was granted bail on the same he was arraigned in court on very liberal terms which were perfected the same day.
“His prosecution which began in March 2018 was ongoing till sometime in July 2019 when the office of the DPP took over the prosecution from the police on the instruction of the office of the Attorney General of the state. The reason for the interest of the AG/DPP to take over prosecution of such a simple matter is however curious though without prejudice to the constitutional power of the AG to take over prosecution of any case in any court in the state.
“On the report of the investigation by the Office of AG Ondo State on this matter which was made available to the public on February 18, 2021, we state as follows that; one, we are taken aback, without prejudice, as to why the office of the AG will take over the prosecution of such a very simple matter in the face of more serious and urgent cases yearning for the attention of the AG/DPP.
“That the hurriedly prepared report of the investigation by the office of the AG did not give the CJ a fair hearing, as it is our honest belief that the CJ ought to have been heard, assuming but not conceding that the AG can constitutionally investigate the CJ.
“The Bar, therefore, urges all parties in this matter to thread solidly on the path of constitutionalism as anything short of this will seriously erode and/or eliminate the little confidence the public still has in the judicial system.”