Ekiti CJ Orders Closure Of Courts

The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, has ordered the indefinite closure of all courts in the state.

This followed the the series of attacks on judicial officers of the High Court, Ado Ekiti, by political thugs, leading to the harassment and manhandling of Justices John Adeyeye and Segun Ogunyemi.

Justice Daramola, in statement signed by Chief Registrar of the State High Court, Barr Obafemi Fasanmi, and made available to newsmen, expressed concern over the spate of attack perpetrated by political thugs and their persistent presence at the Ado-Ekiti High Court premises in the past few days.

The court was invaded by hoodlums on Monday during trial of Ekiti State governor-elect Mr Ayodele Fayose over a case instituted to contest his qualification for the June 21 governorship election. Same scenarios was recorded when suspected thugs assaulted Justice Adeyeye during the sitting of the election petition tribunal on Thursday, necessitating Justice Daramola’s closure order.

The statement said the new date for the reopening of the court will be announced later.

Speaking on the matter, the commissioner for Justice, Mr Wale Fapohunda, told journalists the judge was allegedly assaulted on Fayose’s order who he accused of moving round the court premises with a large number of supporters during the tribunal sitting.

But Fayose , who spoke with journalists in Ado Ekiti, said, “ I am not aware that a judge was beaten. In fact , this is strange to me.”