Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja has denied the petition written against him by the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olisa Metuh, asking for the transfer of his corruption trial to another judge. Abang disclosed in the open court on Thursday that one of Metuh’s lawyers, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), had sent a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, asking for the reassignment of the case to another judge.
According to Abang, “I want to say that I have a circular by my employer, the National Judicial Council, that where there is a petition in a matter seeking the transfer of a case to another judge, that the judge handling the case shall continue to preside over the matter until a decision is taken by the authority that the petition was addressed to. On account of this circular, I shall continue to preside over this matter until the honourable Chief Judge of this court takes a decision on Emeka Etiaba’s petition.
“The prosecution ought to have been availed with that letter so that they could also be heard before the Chief Judge takes a decision on the petition. It is not only the defence that is entitled to justice. The Federal Republic of Nigeria and the defendants are also entitled to justice. Emeka Etiaba ought to have served a copy of that letter on the prosecution so that they would have the opportunity to react to the view expressed by him. There are three grounds in the letter – one: that some of the decisions the court took were given in favour of the prosecution; two: that the court refused to release the record of proceedings. The record of proceedings has been released to the defendants two days ago. It comprises 212 pages.”
