Judge Brought 20 Armed Policemen To Court To Intimidate Me - Lawyer

... Vows to report incident to CJN  FCT CJ

By Peter Dansu 

Human Rights lawyer, Barrister Victor Giwa has said a judge, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo, brought in about 20armed policemen to court to intimidated him during his trial. 

He vowed to report the incident to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN and the Chief Judge of the FCT high court, through a letter. 

He said, "The judge brought 20 armed policemen to the court today because of me. Ten of those policemen were inside the courtroom. A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, had to ask the judge, " My Lord, what is happening, why do we have policemen in the court"? 

"There were armed men inside the courtroom. When I saw the policemen,  I was thinking they came to arrest me, so, I hid inside my car. It was Justice Jude and Asabe Waziri, a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, that made that arrangement. 

"The judge is intimidating me in the court, I cannot get justice. I am writing a letter to the CJ and the CJN that I am not even safe in the court of Justice Jude because he has taken the case personal against me."

Giwa while attempting to make submission before the court urged the court to give him audience. 

The police had accused Giwa of forging letterhead paper of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Awa Kalu.   

But Awa Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode. Egebtolun, put a lie to the allegation of the police against Ibitade and Giwa.   

Despite the letter of Prof. Awa Kalu to the Inspector-General of Police, formally distancing himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Giwa and Ibitade, the police have gone ahead to press charge against Giwa.   

Chief Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, had said his letterhead was never forged and that he had not at anytime lodged any complaint to the police about forgery of his document.   

Professor Kalu, in a letter dated May 30, 2025, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Mr. Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead. 

 During the proceedings, Thursday, Giwa broughta medical report that he was indisposed and would not be able to proceed with the matter. 

He also added that he had e gaged a new lawyer who is supposed to argue his case for him before the court. 

But the judge insisted that he must go on with the case. 

Giwa had filed an application urging the judge to recuse himself from the matter. 

The court was ready to begin hearing of the motion when Giwa told the court that he had a medical report from the hospital amd would not be able to proceed on the ground if ill-health. 

But the judge insisted that he must proceed and move his application. 

He later told the court that he was just served with the amended coubter-motion of the Police and had not had the opportunity to go through it. 

It was at that point that the court adjourned the case to December 10, 2025.

In the application, Barrister Giwa asked the judge to recuse himself from the matter on the ground of bias and partisanship.   

He said that he has no chance of getting justice before the court. 

FCT High Court Judge Grants Exparte Order Over Property in Lekki, Lagos State

By Peter Dansu 

Justice Othman Musa of the High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory has granted an Exparte Order over a property located in Lekki Peninsula Scheme, Lagos. 

The court grated the order in a case for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/4636/2025 between Mr. Henry Ugonna Orabuchi and Nigeria Police Force and five others. 

In the application for the enforcement of fundamental rights, the applicant, Mr. Orabuchi, claimed that the Respondents have gravely infringed his fundamental rights guaranteed under Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 41, and 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), as well as Articles 9 and 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act.

The applicant claimed that he purchased 3,000 square meters of reclaimed land at the back of the property described as Plot No A Block 12, Lekki Peninsula Scheme, Lagos State from one Mr. Emecheta Elvis Eze (the 5th Respondent) who is the beneficial owner of the property. 

According to court documents, as at the time of the transaction in January, 2023, the land had not been reclaimed and the contract stipulated that the portion of the land (3,000sqm) shall be given to Mr. Henry after the land has been reclaimed.

After reclaiming the land, the 5th Respondent applied for recertification and processing of Certificate of Occupancy to secure the title for the entire reclaimed land measuring about 10,000 square meters from where 3,000 will be apportioned to the Applicant.

 While the title is being processed, the Applicant alleged that the 5th Respondent refused to fulfil his own part of the bargain by denying him access to the property and reported the matter to the Nigeria Police in Lagos. Later on, the Applicant took over possession of the entire property including the main property and the entire reclaimed land.

Following the Applicant’s action, the 5th Respondent’ lawyer, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, wrote a Petition against the Applicant to the Nigeria Police Force for criminal trespass, damage to property and threat to life, based on which the Nigeria Police, on 11th November, 2025, issued a letter of invitation to Mr. Henry Ugonna Orabuchi at his residence at No. 6 Morgan Estate, Phase 2, Lagos. 

The said letter, titled "Letter of Invitation RE: Case of Criminal Trespass, Breach of Trust, Malicious Damage and Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace", directed the Applicant to report to the Force Headquarters, Louis Edet House, Abuja, on Thursday, 20th November, 2025, at 10:00 a.m., to shed light on allegations made by the 5th Respondent. Without honouring the Police invitation, Mr. Henry Ugonna Orabuchi filed a fundamental Rights Enforcement Proceedings before FCT High Court wherein he challenged the Powers of the Nigerian Police Force to invite him in the process of their investigation into the allegations of criminal trespass and damage to property and threat to life.

The Applicant argued, in his case before the Court that the Police invitation is based on malicious allegation, ‘crafted solely to intimidate and harass him and to compel him into relinquishing his lawful proprietary and contractual rights over the property’. 

He accused the Nigerian Police of not exercising their statutory powers lawfully and having acted maliciously and in bad faith, and to have used the coercive powers of the State to advance the private interest of the 5th Respondent in a purely private transaction. 

Following the Exparte application filed by the Applicant’s lawyer, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, Hon. Justice Othman Musa granted Exparte Order over a property in Lekki, a Lagos property. 

He said in the order, “That an Interim Injunction is hereby made restraining the 1st to 4th Respondents, either by themselves or through any of 1st Respondent's commands, formations, units, agents, operatives or officers under its command, control or direction, from inviting, arresting, detaining harassing, intimidating or howsoever dealing adversely with the Applicant in connection with the subject matter of this suit, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit".

“That an Interim Order is hereby made directing the 2nd Respondent, through the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, Lagos State, and the 6th Respondent to seal and secure the entire property known and described as Plot No. A, Block 12, Lekki Peninsula Scheme, Lagos State, including the reclaimed land at the back of the property measuring 3,000 square meters FORTHWITH, and to immediately halt all works, activities, actions, or steps on the said property while ensuring that no person, authority, or entity howsoever described is permitted access to or entry upon the property pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before this Honourable Court.”

He also ordered, “That an Interim Order is hereby made directing the 6th Respondent to place a caveat on the whole property described as Plot No. A, block 12, Lekki Peninsula Scheme, Lagos State including the reclaimed land at the back of the property measuring 3,000 square meters FORTHWITH pending the hearing and final determination of the substantive suit before this Honourable Court”.

It is important to point out that the Exparte Orders granted by the FCT High Court were granted based on a case for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of the Applicant (Mr. Henry Ugonna Orabuchi) over a land that is located in Lekki area of Lagos State, which is outside the jurisdiction of the FCT High Court. The Court also joined the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development as 7th Respondent in the suit and adjourned the case to 16th December, 2025 for hearing.

Ihongo, Mato, Baaki, Akura Adamu, Others Donate For Church Rebuilding Project In Konshisha

... Mato assures them of more support for the completion of the project 

By Terfa Naswem, Apaa Tindim

The Pointman of the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia in Vandeikya Local Government Area, Alhaji Abubakar Aseer Ihongo, Former member of the House of Representatives for Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency in Benue State, Rt. Hon. Mrs. Dorathy Mato, the Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders' Forum, Iorpuu Baaki and others made donations for rebuilding of Christ the King Church, Ayila in Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State.

In the Sunday Mass on 30th November, 2025 officiated by Rev. Fr. Godwin Okoh Omanga, various donations were made to rebuild Christ the King Church, Ayia, Konshisha under Our Lady of the Benue Rectory, Anyorikyo, Wuese, Konshisha.

Ihongo said they once contributed to the building of the church which was destroyed by natural causes, hence, the need for making another donation for the rebuilding.

Hon. Mato commended Fr. Omanga for the significant impact he has made in ensuring that the church rebuilding project gets the needed attention to bring to completion.

Dr. Dennis Akura, Special Advisor to the Governor of Benue State on Financial and Economic Strategy, planning and Development expressed his delight in the commitment exhibited by Fr. Omanga and said they will do the needful to take the project to completion.

Hon. Iorpuu Baaki was not in attendance since he was carrying out an assignment for the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, so he sent his donation through Ihongo to the church.

The Chairman of the Muslim Pilgrim Welfare Board in Benue State, Alhaji Abubakar Adamu who was invited by Ihongo alongside some of his friends made huge donations for the project.

Others invited by Hon. Ihongo who donated were: Dr. Vincent Gisaor, Secretary, Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), Elder Yawe Igo Joseph, GLO Vandeikya; Hon. D.T. Jeiyor, former supervisor, Vandeikya), Dr. Dennis Terpase Nomor, Associate Professor of Economics;  Hon. Fanyam Simon Msughter, Denen Yough, APC Chairman, Tsambe, Vandeikya; Hon. Abuul Samuel Terumbur, APC Chairman, Mbakaange; Chiv Terseer Francis, Ihongo Alexander, Principal, Government Girls College, Makurdi, Benue State.