Justice Binta Murtala Nyako has handed-off the case involving Mr. Anietie Ekong, the media aide of the Senate Minority Leader and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The judge handed-off the case and returned the case file to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court after Ekong, through his counsel, wrote a petition to the Chief Judge of the court, alleging bias.
When the matter came up on the 7th of November, and the two counsel representing parties in the matter adopted their written addresses and the matter was adjouned to 30th of November for judgement, Justice Nyako announced that the respondent (Ekong) wrote a petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, alleging that they may not get get justice before her.
Counsel to the plaintiff in the matter, Miss Paula Lawrence, who accused Ekong of sexual assault, Mr. Wale Oseni, said he was not aware of the petition to the CJ.
“Sadly, the Applicant and her counsel were not aware of the petition. They were not copied neither was a copy made available to them. This act is completely unethical and a gross abuse of both the court and justice system.
“A litigant, who is not satisfied with the decision of a court, has the Appeal system open to him or her. He should not resort to back door stunt like this. The Applicant nor her counsel did not assign the case file to Justice Nyako, and neither of them is related to the Hon. Justice in anyway. The allegation is completely baseless”.
The Nigeria Police Force has clarified the controversy surrounding the publication of a nude picture of 30-year-old Miss Paula Lawrence, said to be circulated by Mr. Anietie Ekong.
The woman dragged the senator’s aide before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, alleging sexual harassment.
She is seeking for N100million as damages for the emotional, psychological, reputational pain and torture she had been caused as a result of the harassment.
