Thugs invade court room in Ekiti, threaten to lynch Judge, lawyers flee

Thugs yesterday invaded the High Court in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, making panicky lawyers, litigants and officials to flee the court room. The scene played out after Justice Segun Ogunyemi ruled that the court had jurisdiction to hear the integrity case against Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the governor-elect and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the June 21 election.The officials had been in the court.

The thugs, who brandished dangerous weapons like clubs, cudgels and stones, disallowed  Justice Ogunyemi to commence the hearing of the case or give adjournment date, as they overwhelmed the police.

Judges, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), lawyers, journalists, court officials and magistrates ran off to anywhere safe, hiding in offices, court registries, under tables, other places and objects which could serve as temporary hideouts, as the hoodlums hurled missiles and beat up defenceless people.

Newson247 learnt that the hoodlums, who had rode into the court premises on about 200 motorcycles, earlier had a faceoff with security officials protesting that some of their party men were barred from entering the courtroom even thought members of the opposition were allowed.

Justice Ogunyemi became a target of the hoodlums, as he was almost lynched by the rampaging thugs who went from office to office to seek out perceived opposition members who they beat mercilesslessly.

Justice Ogunyemi escaped being lynched through the intervention of a special team of police from the Riot Squad who ferried him out of the office where he had hid himself.

Mr. Justice Ogunyemi had declared that he had jurisdiction to entertain the cases of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP) and a pressure group of Adeniyi Ajakaye and others who are challenging the eligibility of Fayose , who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the election on the basis of his impeachment on October 16, 2006 by the then House of Assembly over alleged gross misconduct.

 The trial, which had earlier began peacefully in the morning by the presiding Judge, later turned violent, after the Judge had dismissed the application brought by Fayose, challenging the jurisdictional powers of the Court to hear the case.

According to the Guardian, which spoke to the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, the scribe asked Justice Ogunyemi to steer clear of the case in the interest of justice.
The newspaper quoted the PDP as saying: “The Judge openly demonstrated in his ruling that he has jurisdiction on the matter and simultaneously commence hearing of the matter without giving the respondent the opportunity to signify the appeal on it.

   “The PDP also condemned the barbaric action of the APC thugs who attacked voters that voluntarily voted for Ayo Fayose in the last Governorship election”

Interim Chairman of APC in the state, High Chief Jide Awe, was quoted as saying: “We are back to Idi Amin era in Ekiti where judges and lawyers are being attacked in the face of the court. This is terrible”