Judge Orders Magistrate, Police to Justify Lawyer’s Detention

he Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the police, a Lagos magistrate and her husband to show cause why it should not allow a motion ex-parte challenging the detention of lawyer, Godswill Gomba Oyor for 10 days.

Godswill Gomba Oyor and his firm Hyfex Capital Limited are the applicants in the suit marked FHC/L/CS/2489/22.

The first to sixth respondents are the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State; Deputy Commissioner of Police (State Cid Panti Lagos State); Inspector Ayo (Legal Dept); Supo Yetunde Cardoso Oc-Legal State CID; (Magistrate) Mrs. Fifunwa Ikobayo and her husband Mr. Olatunde Ikobayo.

The applicants, through their lawyer Samuel Adeyemo, claimed in their summons ex parte that Oyor had been detained by the police for about 10 days without bail over a civil transaction involving forex trading.

Adeyemo, in the affidavit in support of the summons ex parte, averred thatOyor was being held at State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Panti, Yaba.

He said: “I was informed by the 2nd Applicant on 20th of December 2022 at the Detention facility of State CID at about 12:30 pm in the office of the IPO and I verily believed him that:

“The 5th Respondent is a Magistrate serving with the Lagos State Judiciary.

“The 5th Respondent through the 2nd Applicant had a business relationship with the 1st Applicant.

“That the nature of the business is forex trading, which is known to the 5th and 6th Respondents from the inception.

“That during the pendency of the business relationship, the 5th and 6th Respondents made good money. Along the line, there was a dramatic twist or event that affected the income of the company which is why they have not been able to pay their investors, including the 5th and 6th Respondents.”

He averred that ‘efforts to make the 5th and 6th Respondents resort to arbitration proved abortive.”

Justice Tijani Ringim held: “This matter shall be adjourned till Wednesday 4th of January 2023, for the respondent to show cause why the reliefs sought ex parte shall not be granted.”

Proceedings resume tomorrow.