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| Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mukhtar |
By: Tobi Soniyi
A Supreme Court judge, Justice Clara Ogunbiyi, has said she
did not at anytime contact Justice Okechukwu Okeke, who recently retired from
of the Federal High Court in Lagos,
either directly or indirectly on any matter.
In an explanation note she sent to the Chief Justice of
Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloma Mukhtar, Ogunbiyi accused Okeke of being
economical with truth.
She stated that Justice Okeke misled the world into thinking
that the National Judicial Council (NJC) issued him a warning letter based on
the ex-parte order he gave which affected her (Justice Ogunbiyi's) daughter,
Mrs Funke Amadi (nee Ogunbiyi).
She said: "It is extremely ridiculous, absurd and
malicious for Justice Okeke to insinuate
that it was the forgoing circumstances that formed the basis for the warning
letter given to him on three petitions
deliberated upon by the NJC, which I know nothing about.
"I wish also to state that the alleged petition by all
the residents of No. 5A, George Street, Ikoyi to the NJC has nothing to do with
me.”
She also said she did not ask her daughter to see Justice
Okeke and that she did not try to influence Justice Okeke on any matter.
However, Justice Ogunbiyi said she contacted the Chief Judge
of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta after her daughter had narrated
her ordeal to her following the ex-parte order issued by Justice Okeke for the
sealing off of her daughter's residence.
She said: "In view of the grey areas surrounding the
case, I therefore contacted Justice Ibrahim Auta, the Chief Judge of the
Federal High Court and narrated my daughter's ordeal and therefore enquired
about the laws governing Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON)’s
case. He remarked that the laws are draconian in their application and he
promised to send me a copy, which he did a few days later."
Justice Ogunbiyi said: "On the allegation of the
encounter between Justice Okeke and my daughter, Funke in his chambers, I wish
to state categorically that I never instructed her to see Justice Okeke for any
reason whatsoever. If she had done so in company of the evicted residents of
all the flats, she acted on her own volition. She is an adult, a married woman
with a family and she has a right to protect the interest of her family.
"I wish to emphasise further that I was reliably
informed that my daughter was not on her own while in Justice Okeke's chambers
but in company of the other residents, their lawyer, and also the lawyer to one
of the parties. The residents’ lawyer was the spokesman on their behalf,
contrary to the false impression created in Justice Okeke's speech, where he
painted the picture that my daughter was all on her own in his chambers.
"It is unfortunate that Justice Okeke in his
desperation is looking for who to make a scapegoat for the purpose of hanging
on his predicament. He presupposes that his narration will gain more publicity
if he centres it around a Supreme Court justice's daughter. This is most unfair
and ungodly."
Justice Ogunbiyi said Justice Okeke could not have been a
victim of judicial injustice as a result of any act done either by her or her
daughter.
"I will unequivocally say that Justice Okeke has failed
as a retired judicial officer to present to the public the true picture,"
she added.
While speaking at a valedictory held in his honour last
month, Justice Okeke had accused Justice
Ogunbiyi, of trying to influence a case involving the convicted former Managing Director of
Oceanic Bank, Mrs. Cecelia Ibru.
He also accused
Justice Ogunbiyi of being behind his recent travails with NJC.
The NJC had recently handed a serious caution to Justice
Okeke over what it termed “numerous petitions against him.”
Okeke had said contrary to the impression created by the
NJC, it was rather Justice Ogunbiyi, who tried to influence her orders in a
case before him.
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