Judge warns lawyers against shielding litigants who violate court orders

By Abdulwahab Abdulah

Justice O.O. Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos yesterday cautioned lawyers from shielding litigant who disobey court order in whatever form.

The judge handed down the warning after she reprimanded a business man, Theodore Ekechi, who is a litigant before the court for his failure to appear in court for 14 adjournments, even as he was aware of the proceedings.

Justice Oguntoyinbo who came down heavily on the litigant also chided his lawyer, saying, “I wondered why the judgment debtor on his own volition chose not to appear in court.

“Besides, he has failed to obey the court order since 2009 and he treats the order of the court at his own volition. The court exists not at the convenience of the litigant.

“Court cannot be treated with disdain, it is what we all have, the point must be made that the sanctity of the court has to be maintained. It was passed to us, if we allowed it to be relegated what we pass to others.”

The judge had earliar issued a warrant of arrest against Ekechi for his failure to appear in court to testify on why he failed to pay a N102.1million judgment debt he allegedly owed.

In a warrant order issued by her, she ordered the police to arrest and produce Ekechi in court on June 7, 2017, and explain why he absented himself from the court proceedings held on May 16, this year.

However, the litigant who was in court yesterday for the proceedings, was put into the witness box where he explained how he had remitted part of the judgment debt  he owed as a result of the consent judgment he and the plaintiff, Louis Uzoma Okere entered into   in 2009.

According to him, substantial part of the money had been paid, but this was vehemently opposed by counsel to the plaintiff/judgment creditor, Mr Ademola Ekundayo.

 

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