The Chief Judge (CJ) of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola, says judges are sometimes affected spiritually in the course of discharging their duties.
Abimbola, who would be retiring on Friday, stated this on Thursday while addressing some lawyers and their clients on reasons why judgment could not be delivered on their cases before his retirement.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that among the cases due for judgment is a N124 million fraud case instituted by EFCC against former NIHORT Director,Ademola Idowu and former Accountant, Isiah Ajisafe.
The Chief Judge said that he has a lot of cases currently before him and among it was that of NIHORT case which has about four files with almost 1,000 pages.
Abimbola said that it pained him serious that he would not be able to deliver judgment in those cases,adding that given judgment was not an ease task and a lot of facts has to be extrated.
“I will be doing a disservice to the lawyers, their clients and my service if I rush to deliver judgment that lack the requirements needed in it and cannot be defended at the higher courts.
“I sincerely apologise to the parties concern.
“Something we judges faces a lot of thing spiritually when trying to write judgment, sometimes I will want to write judgment and my hand will be paining me and become weak.
“Sometime I do write Allah’s name on the judgment before I will be able to complete the judgment.
“Please, you lawyers help us beg your clients not be sending spiritual attack to us,” Abimbola said.
Abimbola promised to provide the certified true copy of the proceeding on the matters to the counsel for them to continue the matter before the next judge in order not to start the matter afresh.
NAN reports that former NIHORT Director and Accountant had since Oct.8,2015 been facing 16 count- charge of conspiracy,splitting of contract and fraud to the turn of N124 million.
NAN reports that both the counsel to the defendants and prosecutor had closed their case and adopted their final written addresses on Dec.2,2022.
Reacting for the delay in judgment, Mr Dipo Akinseyinde,former Chairman Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institute and Associated Institution, NIHORT Branch, said the union was not happy for the delay in delivery judgment on the matter.
Akinseyinde said he was the chairman of the union when petition was submitted to EFCC about the matter almost 10 years ago.
“Now that the case suppose to be dispose off today, we not happy that the CJ was not able to do that.
“We are registering our displeasure about the matter to the public,” he said.
(NAN)
