Lawyer Alleges Bias, Writes CJ

An Abuja-based lawyer, Victor Giwa, has said he had written to the chief judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, that Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the court sitting in Apo Resettlement, cannot do justice in his case.

According to Giwa, he had written four letters to the chief judge, asking that his case be reassigned to another judge.

In the letter dated January 14, 2025, the lawyer appealed to the CJ to consider his letters and reassign his case to another judge.

He told the CJ that he had lost confidence in Justice Onwugbuuzie and could no longer get justice in his case before him.

The lawyer said in the acknowledged copy of the letter in the CJ’s Chambers, also dated January 14, “With utmost respect to your Lordship, recall that this is the 4th Complaint I have presented before your Lordship with regard to the recusal of Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie on the above matter.

“None of my letters has been responded to by your Lordship; that is, I have not received any response with respect to all my Complaints to date. My letters under reference are dated 12th November 2025, 17th November 2025 and 9th January 2026.

“My Lord, | also made three applications for recusal before Hon Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie in this case. My Lord, Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, in one of the applications, in an already prepared Ruling read before my application was moved, insisted on continuing with the hearing of the matter.

“My Lord, my further Complaints against the Court of Honour Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, upon which grounds I make this application, are as follows:

That Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie has taken the matter personally against me.

“My Lord Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie has already taken a position in all applications made by the prosecution, especially the application to revoke my bail, brought by the Prosecution.

“Lastly, My Lord, Hon Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie sitting on the 12th day of January, 2026 was to hear our case but I was curious, that only the Court of Hon Justice Onwuegbuzie sat on the 12 of January 2026, when all other Courts located in Apo, did not sit, principally, because the Apo Resettlement Court Complex was undergoing renovation.

The police had accused Giwa of forging the letterhead paper of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Awa Kalu.

However, Awa Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode. Egebtolun put the lie to the police’s allegations against Ibitade and Giwa.

Despite Prof. Awa Kalu’s letter to the Inspector-General of Police formally distancing himself from the allegations of forgery and impersonation against Giwa and Ibitade, the police have gone ahead to press charges against Giwa.

Chief Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, said his letterhead was never forged and that he had not at any time lodged a complaint with the police about the forgery of his document.

Professor Kalu, in a letter dated May 30, 2025, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Mr Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.