Judge Declines Request to Withdraw from Onyeama's Libel Suit

Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, on Monday, declined a request seeking her withdrawal from a libel suit filed by former Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.

Onyeama had sued a career ambassador in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lillian Onoh, who is also a sister to his former wife, for libel.

But Onoh alleged bias against Ogbonnaya, urging her to stop adjudicating on the suit.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, Onoh’s lawyer, Richard Aneke, prayed Ogbonnaya to recuse herself from the case based on his client’s instruction.

Aneke drew Justice Ogbonnaya’s attention to a pending petition before the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, seeking a reassignment of the case to another judge.

Onoh also petitioned the National Judicial Council on the matter, claiming that she hails from Enugu State, where Onyeama comes from.

The former minister’s lawyer, Agada Elachi SAN expressed surprise at Onoh’s allegation against the judge.

He said, “I am shocked to hear this from the defence lawyer. It is within counsel’s right to say what he has said, but the purported petition in its entirety is based on hearsay. “

He stated that Onoh’s petition was an attempt to frustrate the hearing of the matter.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Ogbonnaya said she was assigned the suit by the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Hussein Baba-Yusuf.

She said, “No judge assigns cases himself, it is the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court that assigns cases. It is the same Chief Judge that tells a judge to stop hearing a particular case.

“Unless and until the Chief Judge sends a copy of the petition to me for response, this case will go on.

“Since the Chief Judge has not ordered for the reassignment of this case, this matter shall continue in this court. That is the order of this court. “