By Romanus Okoye
A Lagos High Court Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye, sitting at Ikeja, yesterday, blasted an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) lawyer, Mr. Babatunde Sonaiki, for ‘gross professional misconduct’.
The judge threatened to institute a disciplinary action against him before the appropriate authority.
“It appears you are keen on taking the laws into your hand. Why would you go before another court for this kind of order when the matter is before me? This kind of action is what is giving the judiciary a bad name,” Ipaye told the EFCC counsel.
Justice Ipaye gave the bashing while hearing a criminal charge filed by the EFCC against businesswoman, Mrs Moji Yakubu, her company, Monan Trading Company and Nine persons over alleged N800 million land theft charge.
The commission alleged that Moji Yakubu and her co-defendants had conspired to steal about 10 hectares of land located at Sangotedo, Lagos.
During the defendants’ formal arraignment in February this year, the judge had raised the issue on whether land could be stolen and asked the EFCC counsel to address her on the matter.
While the matter was slated for ruling, the EFCC lawyer went before another judge, Justice Aishat Opensanwo, and obtained a forfeiture order to temporarily seal an ongoing project by Monan Trading Company on the 10 hectare land.
So, when the matter came yesterday, Justice Ipaye informed parties that the ruling was not ready and that the matter would be adjourned till September.
However, counsel to the defendant, Mr Yemi Adeshina drew the attention of the judge to the forfeiture order allegedly obtained by the EFCC against his client.
He told the court that the order amounted to window-shopping by the EFCC and should be immediately set aside.
The EFCC lawyer, Sonaiki, confirmed that he had actually gone before Justice Opesanwo to obtain the temporary forfeiture order.
Consequently, Justice Ipaye noted that it appeared that the EFCC was poised on taking the law into its hand by such ‘window shopping’
“The action of the EFCC lawyer was in bad taste and capable of giving the commission a bad name,” the judge said.
She, subsequently, adjourned the matter till September 14, 2016 for ruling on the defendant’s application to set aside the forfeiture order and on whether land is capable of being stolen as contained in the EFCC charge.