Judge Refuses To Recuse Self From Suit Against Rivers LGs

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday refused to recuse herself from hearing a suit seeking to stop allocation to local governments in Rivers state.

The court had earlier delivered four rulings against some of the defendants in the suit and denied being biased against any of the parties in the suit.

The Rivers State House of Assembly and its factional speaker, Martin Amaewhule, had instituted the suit asking for withholding of fund meant for local governments in the state.

The suit was filed on their behalf by Joseph Daudu (SAN).

However, the accountant-general of Rivers State filed a motion on notice where he accused Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of utter bias against it and all other defendants in the suit.

Represented by Tuturu Edem (SAN), the accountant-general faulted the way the judge had been conducting the proceedings describing it as strange and unbelievable.