Forgery case: Lawyer writes CJ, demands transfer of case over alleged bias
An Abuja based legal practitioner, Victor Giwa, has accused a Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Judge Onwuegbuzie of bias in the case of alleged forgery brought against him.
Accordingly, Giwa has written the Chief Judge of the FCT, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, to re-assign the case to another judge.
In the said letter to the Chief Judge, the defendant alleged that with the conduct of Justice Onwuegbuzie and the nominal complainant, Asabe Waziri, the judge is on a mission to convict him.
In the letter dated January 14, 2025, the lawyer appealed to the CJ to consider his letter and re-assign his case to another judge.
He told the CJ that he had lost confidence in Justice Onwugbuzie and did not expect to get justice in his case before him
Giwa said in the acknowledged copy of the letter in the CJ’s Chambers, also dated January 14, “With uttermost respect to your Lordship, recall that this is the 4th Complaint I have presented before your Lordship with regard to the recusal of Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie on the above matter.
“None of my letters has been responded to by your Lordship, that is, I have not received any response with respect to all my Complaints till date. My letters under reference are dated 12th November 2025, 17th November 2025 and 9th January 2026.
“My Lord, I also made three applications for recusal before Hon Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie in this case. My Lord Hon Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, in one of the applications, in an already prepared Ruling, read before my application was moved, insisted to continue with the hearing of the matter.
“My Lord, my further Complaints against the Court of Hon Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, upon which grounds I make this application are as follows: That Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie has taken the matter personal against me. My Lord Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie threatens me in the open Court and refuses to hear me in most applications made in the open Court except I insist to be heard.
“My Lord Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie has already taken a position in all applications made by the prosecution, especially the application to revoke my bail, brought by the Prosecution in conjunction with the Asabe Waziri, the Nominal Complainant in the trial”.
He said Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie has resolved to convict him in this trial such that one of the Prosecuting Counsel said to me that: “I am postponing my evil day”.
“Lastly, My Lord, Hon Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie’s sitting on the 12th day of January, 2026 was to hear our case but I was curious, that only the Court of Justice Onwuegbuzie Saturday January 12, 2026, when all other Courts located in Apo, did not sit, principally, because the Apo Resettlement Court Complex was undergoing renovation.
“My Lord, at every sitting of the Court since November 27, 2025, there has been over 10 armed police men who have always been deposited inside the Court room providing protection, “desecration of the temple of justice” in the Court of Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie. The said police deployment I was reliably informed was approved by your Lordship.
“It is disturbing and alarming that even our trial Courts for Boko Haram suspects and bandits in Nigeria do not enjoy the kind of police presence in their Court rooms.
“l am aware that Asabe Waziri has four other cases against me spread in the FCT High Court. My noble Lord, I am persuaded that Your Lordship is fully aware of these developments, especially as I have always brought them to your Lordship’s notice”.
The police had accused Giwa of forging letterhead paper of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Awa Kalu.
But Awa Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode. Egebtolun, put a lie to the allegation of the police against Ibitade amd Giwa.
Despite the letter of Prof. Awa Kalu to the Inspector-General of Police, formally distancing himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Giwa and Ibitade, the police have gone ahead to press charge against Giwa.
Chief Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, had said his letterhead was never forged and that he had not at anytime lodged any complaint to the police about forgery of his document.
Professor Kalu, in a letter dated May 30, 2025, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Mr. Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.
-Daily Sun
