Drama as EFCC Lawyer Lectures Presiding Judge in Court
- Court proceedings in the trial of Yahaya Adoza Bello were disrupted after a senior prosecution lawyer made remarks perceived as instructive toward the presiding judge
- Kemi Pinheiro commented on how judgments are delivered at the Supreme Court while addressing the trial court on time management
- Justice Maryann E. Anenih adjourned the case and directed a revised listing order despite earlier courtroom discussions
Tension briefly took over proceedings at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Maitama judicial division, on Tuesday, March 10, after a senior lawyer for the prosecution appeared to instruct the presiding judge on how judgments should be delivered.
The incident occurred during the ongoing criminal trial of Yahaya Adoza Bello, brought by the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Vanguard reported.
Source: Twitter
Justice Maryann E. Anenih had earlier spent several hours delivering judgment in a separate civil matter before turning to the criminal case later in the day.
Tension during court proceedings
As proceedings resumed, Z. E. Abbas, counsel to the third defendant, was preparing to continue c of a prosecution witness when the court announced plans to rise by 2.30 pm. Justice Anenih added that an extra 30 minutes could be allowed if the cross-examination were concluded within that time.
At that point, Kemi Pinheiro, who appeared for the prosecution and is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, addressed the court. He requested an extension of sitting time to enable the defence to finish its cross-examination and allow the prosecution to present a new witness at the next hearing.
Pinheiro pointed out that all parties had arrived in court as early as 9.00 am. He said the delay in hearing the criminal matter was due to the earlier judgment, which he noted had been read in full over several hours.
Remarks draw courtroom reaction
“My Lord, I was actually pitying Your Lordship while reading the entire judgment for almost four hours,” Pinheiro told the court.
“At the Supreme Court, the practice is that only the first three pages and the last four pages are read during the delivery of judgment.
“That approach saves time and also helps to preserve the health and energy of the court.”
The remarks caused visible discomfort in the courtroom, as they were perceived by observers as an attempt to lecture the judge on courtroom practice.
Justice Anenih did not engage the comment directly and proceeded to manage the day’s schedule.
The court later adjourned the case to Wednesday and Thursday for continuation of cross-examination and further hearing. The judge also directed that the matter be listed second on the cause list the following day, despite earlier discussions suggesting otherwise.
EFCC declares former Buhari's minister wanted
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Timipre Sylva, a former minister of State, Petroleum Resources, and former governor of Bayelsa state, wanted.
The EFCC said Sylva was wanted over an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
According to the EFCC, the money is "part of funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a Refinery".
Source: Legit.ng
