Pandemonium reigned supreme at the High Court Complex in Aba as members of the local branch of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) prevented Justice Teresa Uzokwe from presiding over a special High court court session for their late former chairman, Chief Simeon Ihekwoazu.
247ureports.com gathered that the lawyers threatened to deal with Justice Uzokwe if she failed to leave the venue even as the embattled Judge made moves to preside over the session.
They insisted that the Judge cannot be allowed to preside at any function where members of the Aba branch of the NBA are in attendance.
A member of the branch who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the Judge would have been beaten up if she didn’t leave the venue on time.
“We passed a resolution to boycott Justice T.U Uzokwe’s court. Since then, she doesn’t attend our functions but I don’t know why she chose to attend this one and even wanted to preside over the special session. We had our way as she left the venue when it was clear that would beaten up. We will continue to do this until she is transferred out of Aba Judicial Division,”
247urepors.com further gathered that Justice K.C Nwankpa who stood in for the Acting Chief Judge of the state later presided over the special session assisted by other judges.
It would be recalled that Justice Uzokwe who presides over High Court 2, Aba has been having a running battle with the Aba NBA over alleged misconducts. Aba NBA had in 2012 passed a resolution to boycott her court until she is transferred out of Aba Judicial Division. The branch has continued to picket his court; a situation which has led to the High court not being able to sit.
A source hinted that the situation has led to litigants applying for the transfer of their cases.
A former Acting Chief Judge of the state, Justice Shedrack Nwanosike was said to have mediated over the matter but the branch refused to back down on her demands.
In a resolution signed by the then chairman and secretary, Chief Charles Eduzor and Kelechi Ukaumunna, the branch insisted that the demand for the transfer of Justice Uzokwe out of Aba Judicial Division is not negotiable.
Among several allegations, Justice Uzokwe was alleged to have ordered several lawyers to kneel down when their phones mistakenly rang in court. She is alleged to have ordered the smashing of another lawyer’s phone and made him to stand behind the dock for over three hours as well as asking litigants to kneel down and raise hands up on flimsy excuses.
