By Phrank Shaibu
It was drama galore and near perversion of justice at Magistrate court one, Tinubu, Lagos when Festus Keyamo Chambers, SAN in collaboration with the presiding Chief Magistrate Mrs. K.B. Ayeye attempted to take the prosecution by surprise and dismiss a criminal case before it.
Mrs. Ayeye listed the case between Inspector General of Police against Stephanie Otobo and one Wisdom Godstime for hearing, where Apostle Johnson Suleman is the complainant. Against criminal trial procedure and court ethics, the case was listed for hearing without a hearing notice issued, or any form of communication with the prosecution and the complainant.
Otobo, a Canadian based night club stripper had accused Apostle Suleman of being her lov er, who promised her marriage but breached the promise to marry. Consequently she requested for a payment of one million dollars or (N500 million) equivalent in February 2017 as compensation. However, the man of God denied the allegation and reported the matter to the police.
Otobo was later arrested along with her accomplice and charged to court for blackmail, threat to life and conspiracy to extort money from the man of God. But after three appearances at the court, the complainant noticed a cosy relationship and bias on the part of the Chief Magistrate Ayeye. Therefore, Suleman’s lawyer, Osa Director Esq who is holding watching brief in the case wrote a petition to the Lagos State Chief Judge with Proof of evidence relating to the allegation of bias against the Chief Magistrate. The case was therefore put in a lull pending the outcome of the petition.
However, Keyamo with so much gusto informed his client in December last year to come to Nigeria as the case will be heard on January 23, 2018. But how was that possible when the report of the Chief Judge was yet to be released? Who informed Keyamo of the date without the prosecution’s knowledge?
In a letter dated 8th January, 2018, the Chief Judge wrote through, Mrs. A.K. Shonubi, Deputy Chief Registrar (Special Duties) to Osa Director & Co approving the request for transfer of the case to another Magistrate and court. But surprisingly, even as the case is yet to be officially assigned to another court, the case was listed for hearing on January 23, 2018 before Chief Magistrate Ayeye as rightly predicted by Keyamo.
So, who ordered the listing of the case despite the administrative directive of the Chief Judge? Why was it listed at all?
Why was a hearing notice not issued to inform the prosecution and the complainant? What is the interest of Chief Magistrate Ayeye in the case and her insistence to hear the case despite the Chief Judge’s directive? If the defence led by Keyamo is sure of the rightness of its case why attempt to use back hand tactics against the complainant?
So many questions begging for answers. However, the plot to secretly hear the case and probably dismiss it in the absence of the prosecution and complainant was frustrated by the sudden arrival of the prosecution counsel who was not put on notice.
The complainant, Apostle Suleman has vowed to petition the Lagos State Chief Judge and the National Judicial Council (NJC) on the unbecoming professional conduct of Chief Magistrate Ayeye, in connivance with Keyamo.
