High Court of Justice sitting in Koton-Karfe, Kogi state, has indicted a legal practitioner, Barrister Adetunji Oso, for unethical and unprofessional conduct during court proceeding.
The presiding judge, Justice Alaba Omolaye-Ajileye, who stated this in his judgement in the suit filed by the state Chief Judge, Justice Nasir Ajanah, and Chief Registrar of the High Court, Yahaya Adamu, against Governor Yahaya Bello, Kogi House of Assembly and three others, said Oso, from the chambers of Chief A.A. Adeniyi & Co. and counsel to governor Bello in the case, behaved in an unprofessional manner.
In the judgement, a copy of which was made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Friday, Justice Omolaye-Ajileye said the gravity of the misbehaviour of Oso, in the face of the court, made it expedient that the matter should not only be put on record for future references, but attract the attention of the leadership of the Bar and the Bench.
“The genesis of the unfortunate incident was an oral application on Friday, June 14, in which Oso informed me of a pending application for a stay of proceedings in this case, pending before the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
“I said there was no such application made before this court and he strenuously argued that I could no longer proceed with this case.
“Mr Oso argued that because he had informed the court of the pending application, the trial court must not proceed with the case slated for definite hearing on that day. The response of the opposing counsel, A. M. Aliyu (SAN), was taken and a ruling on the point rendered, in which I overruled Mr Oso on that point and directed that the case should proceed to hearing.
“Upon being over-ruled, Mr Oso announced to the court that he was recusing himself from the case and in a most defiant, disrespectful and impudent manner, unbecoming of a Legal Practitioner, he walked out on the court. As an integral participant in the administration of justice, I suppose, a lawyer’s paramount duty is to the court and the Rule of Law.
“He must avoid doing anything that may have the effect of diminishing court’s authority or ridiculing the aura of respectability it commands and enjoys.”
He directed the Registrar of the court to make copies of the judgement and the proceedings of June 14, available to the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), chairman, Body of Benchers and the President, NBA, for their notification.
