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Journalist in distress, Mr. Agba Jalingo who is being
prosecuted by the Federal Government of Nigeria has petitioned the Chief Judge
of the Federal High Court demanding that his case be reassigned to another
judge.
Crimefacts.news reports that the suit for which Jalingo is standing trial is numbered FHC/CA/59C/2019 and being presided over by Justice Simon Amobeda of the Calabar Division of the Federal High Court.
According to the petition signed by Agba Jalingo himself, which was obtained by
Crimefacts.news , the journalist expressed concern over a certain leaked audio recording in which the voice of the presiding judge in his case, Justice Simon Amobeda was allegedly heard discussing his case with an unidentified person on Wednesday, the 14th of November 2019.
Jalingo said he was worried that everything allegedly said
by the judge in the secret audio recording was said to a stranger behind his
back on a day that his case did come up before the judge, in the absence of his
counsel and the prosecutors.
The document read in part: “Among other things in his voice in the secret audio recording, Justice Simon Amobeda promised to treat me like Ken Saro-Wiwa was treated in his trial and conviction and sentenced to death by a Military Tribunal during the lamentable Military dictatorship of late General Sani Abacha. Justice Amobeda also reportedly made statements implying that judgments in his court was matter of favour rather than of law and justice.”
The document read in part: “Among other things in his voice in the secret audio recording, Justice Simon Amobeda promised to treat me like Ken Saro-Wiwa was treated in his trial and conviction and sentenced to death by a Military Tribunal during the lamentable Military dictatorship of late General Sani Abacha. Justice Amobeda also reportedly made statements implying that judgments in his court was matter of favour rather than of law and justice.”
Transcribing some quotes from the audio recording,
Jalingo alleged that the Justice Amobeda according to the recording, claimed
that he awards “Let my people go” judgments which Jalingo inferred
may mean ‘unmerited and undeserved judgments’ to lawyers with whom he has
personal friendship.
He quoted the said judge’s voice on the recording: “If
I want to favour you, it will be in my chambers; if you bring good thing, I
will favour you in my chambers…”
The said Judge’s voice also reportedly said that the
charge for which he is trying Jalingo “is a criminal matter that the
punishment carries death penalty”.
But Agba Jalingo, Crimefacts.news reports, maintained that he is being tried on some trumped-up allegations by Governor Benedict Ayade of Cross Rivers state. “And I am eager to meet it head-on and defend myself and establish my innocense. However, I see no fair trial for me in my case when the judge before whom my case and my fate lies is one whose understanding of justice and the dispensation of it is as depicted in the aforementioned comments in the secret audio recording.”
Jalingo therefore pleaded with the Chief Judge to uphold
his constitutional right to fair hearing and reassign his case to another judge
that has a better appreciation of the call of justice.
“I plead that the reassignment should be to a judge
outside the Calabar Division, thus making him less susceptible to local
political pressures”, Agba Jalingo prayed. Bryn Wealthholm
