How judge revealed attempt by lawyer on trial to hold private meeting
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, on Monday disclosed an alleged attempt by a lawyer standing trial for forgery to hold a private meeting with him in chambers.
The revelation came during court proceedings when the trial judge confronted the defendant, Victor Giwa, over the propriety of seeking a private audience with the court while his case was ongoing.
Addressing Giwa in open court, Justice Onwuegbuzie queried whether it was acceptable for an accused person to visit a judge privately when a matter was pending before the court. Giwa responded in the negative, prompting the judge to express strong disapproval of the conduct.
Describing the action as disturbing, Justice Onwuegbuzie stated that it was unacceptable for a defendant with an active case to attempt to meet the presiding judge in chambers, warning that such behaviour would not be tolerated by the court.
Giwa is being tried alongside another lawyer, Ibitade Bukola, on a three-count charge that includes forgery. The police alleged that the defendants forged a letter purportedly written on the letterhead of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Awa Kalu.
According to the charge sheet, Giwa allegedly authored the forged letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation, seeking to halt his arraignment before another FCT High Court judge, Justice Samira Bature, in relation to an earlier criminal matter dated July 2, 2024. The letter was reportedly titled “Urgent and Solemn Appeal to Suspend the Arraignment of Our Colleague Victor Giwa on Charge Number: CR/222/2023.”
The defendants are also facing allegations of illegal eviction, criminal intimidation, threats to life, and destruction of property valued at N300 million. They were jointly arraigned in October 2025 and pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During Monday’s proceedings, prosecuting counsel, T.Y. Silas, told the court that Giwa had earlier approached him regarding the proposed meeting with the judge. Silas said he declined the request after Giwa allegedly refused to explain the purpose of the meeting, describing the move as unethical and inappropriate.
In his defence, Giwa maintained that his actions were consistent with professional ethics. He claimed that counsel to the prosecution and to the second defendant had initially agreed to see the judge in the presence of the court registrar, but that the prosecution later withdrew after pressing for details about the meeting.
Giwa further argued that the rules of professional conduct permit counsel to approach a judge in chambers on matters considered private. However, Justice Onwuegbuzie rejected the explanation, holding that such justification could not apply to a defendant in an ongoing criminal trial.
The proceedings were later stalled when Giwa applied for an adjournment on the grounds that his lead counsel, Ibrahim Idris, SAN, was absent and reportedly recovering from prostate surgery. The prosecution opposed the request, citing repeated delays attributed to the defence and noting that the hearing date had been fixed at Giwa’s instance.
The court was informed that the trial had suffered several adjournments in the past due to the absence of the defendants or their lawyers. In previous sittings, excuses ranged from bereavement and medical issues to personal engagements, prompting the court at one point to issue a bench warrant to compel the defendants’ appearance.
Silas, relying on Section 396(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, argued that the law limits the number of adjournments allowed after arraignment. He further contended that Giwa’s counsel, being a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, ought to have junior lawyers available to proceed with the case, and urged the court to award costs against Giwa for wasting judicial time.
Giwa countered that he had not benefited from the adjournments and insisted on his constitutional right to counsel of his choice, describing the prosecution’s request as mischievous. Counsel to the second defendant also appealed for an adjournment.
While agreeing that the excuse offered by the first defendant was unsatisfactory, Justice Onwuegbuzie said the court would make concessions in the interest of justice and fair hearing. He noted the pattern of delays, observing that Giwa had previously appeared with a large legal team, which was absent on Monday.
Despite expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct of the defence, the judge adjourned the matter to January 21 to ensure procedural fairness.
The development comes barely a week after another Abuja judge, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, cautioned parties in the N8.7 billion money laundering trial involving former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, against attempting to privately approach the court.
Justice Nwite issued the warning while ruling on bail applications filed by Malami and his co-defendants, stressing that personal familiarity would not influence judicial proceedings and that the law must remain supreme.
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