The Federal High Court, Abuja, has granted an interim order restraining the Governor and Attorney General of Ondo State, Ondo State House of Assembly and others from taking any action against the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Honourable Justice Olarewaju Akeredolu.

The order was granted by Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo, Esq., after hearing J. S. Okutepa, SAN on behalf of the Chief Judge in the suit FHC/ABJ/CS/216/2021.

The court gave the order pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice which is fixed for hearing on the 5th day of March 2021. 

 

In the ruling Justice Ekwo,  made the following orders. 

AN order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants herein by themselves, through their officers, privies or any other person deriving power, command, authority, instruction or directives from any of the defendants from acting or relying on, or continuing to rely on, act on, implement, give effect to or do anything to the prejudice of the plaintiff based on any decisions that would be made by the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants in so far as the decision is related to the office of the plaintiff as Chief Judge of Ondo State High Court pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. 

AN order of interim injunction restraining the defendants from acting on the decision arising from and connected with the activities, decisions and directives of the 5th Defendant and from taking any actions, acts, decision, conclusions, directives, command and such other deeds geared towards the office of the plaintiff or doing anything which may have the effect of enforcing, continuing to give effect to the implementation or putting into effect the conclusions and decision of the Ondo State House of Assembly in so far as it affects the office of the plaintiff as Chief Judge of Ondo State or even as a judicial officer in the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

AN Order of Interim Injunction restraining the 1st and 6th Defendants, their officers and agents from interfering with or acting on any decision arising from and connected with the activities and directives related to or connected with the office of the Plaintiff as the Chief Judge of Ondo State and even as judicial officer pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. 

AN Order of Interim Injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd Defendants from acting, using or relying on any decision arising from or connected with the activities and directives of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants in so far as the decision related to or connected with the office of the Plaintiff as the Chief Judge of Ondo State pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice. 

ASKLEGALPALACE recalls that on the 15th of February, 2021, one Mr Olupelumi Fagboyegun, in a viral video accused the Ondo state Judiciary and the office of Chief Judge of Ondo State, Honourable Justice O. O. Akeredolu, of using the Magistrate Court to persecute him unjustly and keep him on trial for a period of 3 years for an offence punishable with 1-year imprisonment. In response, the Chief Judge denied all the allegations adding that Fagboyegun was been used by some persons.

The Former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, Charles Titiloye stepped in to investigate the matter and swung into action – investigation. Consequently, he exercised power of nolle prosequi and discontinued the matter.