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Court bars Kogi government from probing, suspending chief judge, chief registrar

By John Akubo, Lokoja
14 December 2018   |   5:56 am
The Koton-Karfe Division of the High Court of Kogi State has restrained Kogi State Government and the state’s House of Assembly from taking steps that would hinder the discharge of the duties of the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasiru Ajanah and his Chief Registrar, Yahaya Adamu. The order was obtained by the Chief…

[FILE] The Koton-Karfe Division of the High Court of Kogi State has restrained Kogi State Government and the state’s House of Assembly from taking steps that would hinder the discharge of the duties of the Chief Judge of the state

The Koton-Karfe Division of the High Court of Kogi State has restrained Kogi State Government and the state’s House of Assembly from taking steps that would hinder the discharge of the duties of the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Nasiru Ajanah and his Chief Registrar, Yahaya Adamu.

The order was obtained by the Chief Judge and Chief Registrar when they approached the court on the heels of an alleged plan by the Assembly to investigate them and the state judiciary sequel to a petition to the House by the Secretary to the State Government, Folashade Arike Ayoade, indicating that there is an impasse between the Executive and Judiciary arms of the state.

Ayoade is standing trial before High Court 1, the CJ’s court, on charges proffered against her by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

In the ex-parte application filed at the court by counsel to the two applicants, Yemi Muhammed, he sought the court’s urgent intervention through three prayers.

He requested for an interim injunction restraining the defendants from threatening or interfering in the discharge of the duties of the applicants.

He also urged the court to restrain the defendants from taking cognisance of any report emanating from the ad-hoc committee set up by the state Assembly on December 11, 2018 pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He then asked the court to also expedite action on the matter expeditiously through accelerated hearing.
It was however learnt that the Assembly was planning to ask the CJ to step aside while their investigation was to last.

In his ruling, Justice Alaba Ajileye said after considering the application and reflecting on the attached documents and the submission by the counsel to the CJ, he was convinced on the strength of the facts deposed to in the affidavit in support of the motion that “an urgent intervention of this court is required to maintain the status quo ante bellum between the parties, lest the claimants/applicants be clogged with a fait accompli. Accordingly, I grant the application as prayed.”

While also granting the request for the accelerated hearing of the motion, the court adjourned to December 18, 2018 and directed that the order be served on all the defendants.

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