A human rights lawyer, Barrister Victor Giwa, has explained why he made an attempt to seek an audience with the judge hearing his case.
According to Giwa, he decided to seek audience with the judge, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court out of courtesy and in compliance with rules of professional conduct.
Giwa is a counsel and a defendant in the matter.
The police is prosecuting Giwa and his co-accused, Bukola Ibitade, for allegedly forging the letterhead paper of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Awa Kalu.
But Awa Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egebtokun, denied the forgery of his letterhead paper, adding that he never made such a complaint.
Despite the letter in which Awa Kalu distanced himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Giwa and his co-accused, Bukola Ibitade, the police went ahead to press charges.
Kalu, in the letter dated May 30, 2025, and addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.
Meanwhile, when the case came up on Monday, January 12, 2026, Giwa explained that he approached the registrar of the court, notifying him of his intention to see the judge in company of the prosecutor, Mr Theophilous Silas and the 2nd defendant’s counsel, Mr Aboje.
According to him, the registrar proceeded to give the information to the judge but the judge turned down the request down.
Giwa explained that he also notified the prosecutor of his request to see the judge. He said the prosecutor asked what the meeting was all about but he (Giwa) told him he will get to know when they get to the judge’s chamber.
However, according to him, the prosecutor responded that since he does not have prior knowledge of what the meeting was all about, he won’t be part of it.
Speaking during the proceedings, Giwa told the court, “I sought the consent of the prosecutor and the 2nd defendant in this matter to see my Lord in chambers with other counsel in tjis matter.
“After getting their consent, in the presence of the 2nd defendant, I informed the registrar of the court of the agreement.
“He asked me if it was all the parties, I said yes. About 15 minutes later, the prosecutor asked me what was the reason and I told him I will present the issue in my Lord’s chambers.
“He did not object to it initially but later, the registrar came to me and said the prosecutor said he will noonger want to be part of it.
“The registrar did not also ask me the purpose of wanting to see my Lord. If he had asked, I would have told him.
“It is out of courtesy to the court under the rules of professional conduct that I sought yo see my lord in chambers.”
The judge, in his response, warned that he would not tolerate the act.
He stressed that he only raised the issue during the proceedings in order to bring it to the attention of everyone, particularly, parties in the matter.
However, speaking to journalists after the court session, Giwa wondered the particular interest the judge has in his matter that he had to sit, despite the renovation work going on in the court building.
“I wonder the kind of interest Justice Onwuegbuzie has in my matter that despite the renovation work going on in the court building, he still had to sit.
“In fact, I had it on good authority that he sat because of my matter,” the human rights lawyer said, alleging that the judge wants to jail him.
