By Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Abuja
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the editor and a reporter of the Nigerian Pilot newspaper to appear before it on May 26 to give reasons over a story headline.
Justice Adeniyi Ademola gave the order following a complaint made by Chief Akin Olujinmi (SAN), counsel to the embattled Rivers state Chief Judge, Justice Peter Agumagu, about the paper’s story of April 11 with the headline: `Suspended Rivers CJ Lied –Judge’.
Olujinmi informed the court at the resumed hearing of the case filed by his client, Justice Agumagu, that the story headline was ‘sensational and detrimental’ to his client’.
When the judge said he was not aware of the story, the plaintiff’s counsel tendered a photocopy of the said story in court.
Justice Ademola then ordered the newspaper’s editor and reporter to appear before him on May 26, for explanation.
He also fixed May 26 for ruling on the preliminary objection of the respondents’ counsels and the originating summons argued by the plaintiff’s counsel.
You would recall that Agumagu had sued the NJC for suspending, querying and threatening to sack him for accepting to serve as Rivers Chief Judge on March 18.
The council, on March 27, announced Agumagu’s suspension, noting that his appointment and swearing-in on March 18 did not comply with Section 271 of the 1999 Constitution.
The NJC is joined as co-respondents in the suit with Justices Babatunde Adejumo, Jubril Idris and Comwell Idahosa, chairman and members of the panel set up to investigate allegations against Agumagu.
Agumagu had also asked the court to restrain an investigation panel from taking any further step in respect of his case until the determination of the substantive suit.
The plaintiff had also asked for an order to quash the minutes of the decisions reached by the NJC at its emergency meeting of March 26, 2014 concerning him.