Frivolous case: CJN orders lawyer to pay N.5m

Frivolous case: CJN orders lawyer to pay N.5m

The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, recently at the
Supreme Court in Abuja, slammed a N500, 000 fine on a lawyer for bringing a
frivolous appeal before the apex court.
The CJN, who handed down the court order last Monday, said the fine must be
paid by Barrister Okey Uzoho.
The full panel of the apex court, presided over by the CJN, also included Justices
Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen and Ibrahim Tanko Muhammed, Muhammad
Saifullah Muntaka-Coommassie, Olabode Rhodes-Vivour, John Inyang Okoro and
Amiru Sanusi.
Trouble started for the lawyer when he brought an application to relist a matter
which had already been decided by the Supreme Court in favour of the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The lawyer represented the All Progressives Congress (APC) and others (formerly
Action Congress of Nigeria ACN) in the 2011 governorship election in Akwa Ibom
State, which was won by Godswill Akpabio.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed said, “The motion, filed on May 27, 2015, having
been withdrawn without objection from the learned counsel to the respondent, is
hereby struck out.
“There shall, however, be a N500, 000 cost to the respondents, to be paid by the
learned counsel to the applicants, Mr. Okey Uzoho, for allowing himself to be used
to bring this frivolous application to court.”