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Group Criticizes
Judge’ Threat to Jail Journalists
Free Speech Foundation, a Non Governmental Organization has condemned
the threat by an Ikeja High Court judge, Justice Akeem Oshodi to Jail
journalists who report what did not happen in Court, describing the
statement as “embarrassing”.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi had on December 12 2007, threatened to jail
journalists covering the libel suit instituted by Chief Olabode George;
Deputy National Chairman (South west) of the People Democratic Party (PDP),
if they report what did not take place in his court.
This was sequel to an oral application by counsel to Chief George, Chief
Bimbo Adesanya (SAN) who called on the Court to restrain journalists
covering the matter to write only on evidence given in open court.
Displaying four copies of different national dailies of December 7,
Chief Adesanya claimed the journalists were misrepresenting what
happened in court by writing stories from a document that were not read
in court while at the same time he admitted that the document from which
the stories were written were filed, adopted and admitted as part of
defence witness exhibit before the court. The said document was tendered
in court by an official of the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr. Richard Akinnola, Chairman of the Free Speech Foundation in a
statement faulted the judge’s reaction said it was “misplaced, wrong and
patently illegal”.
Mr.
Akinnola said: “I wish to state that the threat of the judge is
misplaced, wrong and patently illegal. I had the privilege to cover the
judiciary for over 26 years and have never seen a situation where a
judge would feel uncomfortable over the publications of the contents of
a document which was tendered in a court by a witness on oath”.
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