THE Ekiti State Judiciary has distanced itself from a ‘controversial’ court order issued by the Ikole Ekiti Magistrate Court.
The order, which sparked public outcry and condemnation from the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has been vacated.
The judiciary has set up a panel of inquiry to investigate the matter and ensure accountability. It reaffirms its commitment to justice, fairness, and transparency and vows to maintain the highest standards of integrity.
This was disclosed in a press release signed by the Chief Registrar of the Ekiti State High Court, Olanike Adegoke.
The state judiciary apologised for the recent order and assured the public of its commitment to fairness and transparency.
It urged the public to continue trusting its processes.
This move comes after the NBA called for the magistrate’s removal and disciplinary actions.
The order, which has generated a lot of outrage, was issued by Oluwadare’s court and was granted on January 23. It is a case between the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, Keystone Bank, and the Nineteenth Kid Estate Residents Association.
The issue went viral on social media on Wednesday, February 5.
The magistrate had ordered that Keystone Bank provide certified true copies of the account opening package, statement of account from November 1, 2024, to date, and certificate of identification for the Nineteenth Kid Estate Residents Association to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 headquarters, Onikan, Lagos State.
He also ordered the bank to place a post-no-debit (PND) on the account and deactivate all internet/electronic transactions on it, and that the PND should not be lifted if the suspect had not reported to the police and arrested any persons who come with a lift order without police permission.
In response, the Ekiti State Judiciary established a panel of inquiry to investigate the matter and make recommendations.
Key stakeholders, including the Attorney General and NBA, were copied in the press release.
The ICIR reported that the NBA ordered all lawyers to boycott the court of Oluwadare T.O., a Chief Magistrate at the Ikole Magistrate Court in Ekiti State for issuing an order to freeze a bank account and arrest any lawyer who approaches the bank with a “lift order without police permission.”
A lift order is a court decision that removes a previous restriction on someone’s assets, such as bank accounts or property.
The NBA issued the boycott order at the end of its National Executive Committee (NEC) on February 6.
The body of lawyers led by its president, Afam Osigwe, described Oluwadare’s order as a grave violation of legal ethics and due process that would not be condoned.
In a series of tweets on X, the NBA president also said a formal petition would be filed against the magistrate before the chief judge of Ekiti State to relieve him of all judicial duties.
Osigwe added that the Judicial Service Commission of Ekiti State would also be petitioned to investigate and take disciplinary action against the magistrate.
The NBA warned that any attempt to intimidate lawyers or subvert due process would not be tolerated.
Recall that another judge, Inyang Ekwo, of the Federal High Court in Abuja on October 8, 2020, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1635/2019, ruled that magistrates lacked the power to freeze bank accounts.
Ekwo also declared that banks should not act on “bankers’ orders” served on them by the police to freeze or place a post-no-debit on personal accounts.
A reporter with the ICIR
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