Chief Olabode George and his wife
By Henry Ojelu
Powerful political interests have blocked the appointment into the Federal Appeal Court of Justice OlubunmiOyewole, the judge who found Chief Olabode George guilty of contract fraud and sentenced him to 18 months imprisonment.
The political maneuvering against the Lagos
P.M.NEWS authoritatively gathered that Oyewole’s promotion to the Court of Appeal, seen by most observers as reward for his sterling performance as a high court judge in Lagos State Osun State
Even though Justice Oyewole is from Osun State Osun State
The Osun government, it was learnt, argued that Oyewole was a Lagos Osun State
The Oyinlola-led government, P.M.NEWS gathered, further berated the Lagos State Osun State
Oyewole’s name, investigations revealed, was on the list of 14 judges recently promoted to the Court of Appeal, but the list was later suspended due to allegations of bribery leveled against some members of the panel which nominated the judges for promotion.
There are also suspicions about the motive around Oyewole’s redeployment to the Family Court by the Lagos Lagos
A circular signed by Justice Inumidun Akande directed all judges in the state judiciary to resume at their new postings and commence work.
Among changes introduced by Justice Akande include the abolition of administrative judges for Ikeja and Lagos
In the redeployment circular, all judges at the Ikeja division, except Justice Oyewole, who is now to handle the Family Court, were moved to the Lagos Lagos
Lawyers who spoke with P.M.NEWS this morning on the redeployment of Oyewole to the Family Court dismissed insinuations that it was a demotion. They explained that the Family Court is also very important just like the criminal division.
Some of the high profile cases handled by Justice Oyewole, apart from the imprisonment of Bode George, include the sentence to death of Reverend Chukwuemeka Ezeugo a.k.a. Dr. King, who killed one of his devotees by pouring hot water on her and the recent jailing of the former Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government, Lukmon Ajose, for fraud.
Meanwhile, apart from the movement of the Judges from their courts, Justice Akande also moved them from their areas of specialization.
Moments after the information about the transfer spread and the judges were preparing for the hand over and eventual movement to their new locations, lawyers, litigants and the supporting staff expressed mixed feelings.
Apparently not comfortable with the new posting some of the Judges saw the movement from one division to the other as “something that is uncalled for, especially, when there were some judges who were moved a few years back.”
Some of the judges affected by the exercise, apart from Justice Oyewole, include Mufutau Olokooba and Morenike Obadina.
Justice Oyewole was the famous judge that convicted Chief Olabode George and Amaka Anajemba over massive fraud against a Brazilian bank, while Olokooba is one of the Judges handling criminal cases involving Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former CSO to late Gen. Sani Abacha.
Justice Mufutau Olokooba was moved from the criminal division, Ikeja to the commercial division in Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos Lagos Island
Reacting to the new posting, a senior member of staff of the Lagos
However, another observer who was opposed to the posting said:
“The CJ has embarked on this posting for sometime now, instead of her to sit down to work. She has done this to the Magistrates and the Judges now. She is just doing this against those she does not like their faces. She moved those who are her friends nearer to herself, while redeploying those who are perceived as not being in her good books, especially those who work directly with Akande’s predecessor, Justice Ade Alabi.”
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