From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Judge of the Federal High Court has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against a couple who are defendants in a charge bordering on a N30m business transaction filed against them by the Inspector General of Police.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo who is billed for retirement on this Saturday issued the threat following the absence of the defendants in court.
Although who was to deliver a ruling in a motion filed by the defendants, Winston Odumu-Ojobi and his wife Patience, withheld his ruling insisting that the defendants must be in court before his ruling would be delivered.
The motion by the defendants dated January 24, 2022, is seeking a transfer of the suit back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for re-assignment to another judge of the Abuja division of the court.
The defendants who accused the judge of showing bias and expressed fears that they may not get justice in his court if the matter is not transferred to another Judge.
When the case was called for ruling on Thursday, the defendants were not in court.
A visibly angry justice Taiwo thereafter threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against them if they fail to appear before him on Friday.
Efforts by counsel to the defendants, Bola Aidi, to explain the circumstances of their absence in court could not assuage the judge.
Aidi had explained to the court that he received a hearing notice in respect to the ruling on Wednesday by 5pm and was unable to reach the defendants on phone.
Justice Taiwo has consequently shifted the ruling to Friday with a warning that a warrant of arrest would be issued against the defendants if they fail to show up in court.
In their supporting affidavit to the motion for the transfer of the case, the defendants chronicled some unpleasant events that occurred during their trial before the Judge.
For instance, in paragraph 16 of their affidavit in support, they highlighted the fact that the judge had during trial, stated that the evidence of the 1st defendant(Winston Odumu-Ojobi), “are mills and boons stories.”
The 1st defendant who deposed to the affidavit averred that “when the matter came up for trial on September 27, 2021, the honourable Justice Taiwo Taiwo on reading my letter threw caution to the wind and thoroughly abused me with such words, ” you an ungrateful man” “you people are evil”, God will judge you” while also deprecating our counsel.