From Fred Itua, Abuja
Concerned kindred families of Amechi-Uwani in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State have dragged an Abuja Magistrate to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Judicial Service Committee over alleged misconduct.
Chairman of Ndiaga General Assembly Chief Chinwuba Aga and an elder statesman from the community, Sir Richard Nnamani, in a petition addressed to the chairman of FCT Judicial Service Committee alleged that some desperate forces in Enugu State were being assisted by Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana to frustrate their efforts in recovering their ancestral lands.
They said the desperate actors have resorted to using some officers of the FCT judiciary, who do not have the requisite jurisdiction to entertain such matters, particularly as the subject matter is in Enugu State.
He said that a private estate firm in Enugu is behind the move. he further said that the estate developer ‘filed a direct criminal complaint against some of our indigenes and also on the same day filed a motion ex parte praying for an order for the arrest and detention of some of our indigenes as well as our developers pending the hearing of the direct criminal complaint.
‘This motion ex parte, as illegal as it was, was heard and granted by an FCT Magistrate even when the affidavit in support of same and the particulars of facts in support of the direct criminal complaint clearly showed that the entire complaints were about events that supposedly took place in Enugu State.
‘In view of the above sir, we wish to clearly state that we have completely lost confidence in the said Magistrate who from his actions, has shown us that he has something up his sleeves.
‘We humbly appeal that you use your good offices to prevail on Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana to wash his hands off the direct criminal complaint.
‘Alternatively, sir, the said direct criminal complaint could also be re-assigned from Magistrate Emmanuel Iyana and given to any other Magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory,’ the petition requested.
An aide to the FCT Chief Judge, Eleojo Enenche, did not respond to calls for comment.