Evans: Judge blasts lawyers, says you’re bound to be there for your client till the end in a criminal case

IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Deserting lawyers reprenting kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans and 4 others got the bashing of their lives on Thursday when they failed to appear before Justice Hakeem Oshodi in a matter involving the State of Lagos Vs Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike and 5 others.

When the matter was called today, only the 5th and 6th defendants were represented by counsels, leaving the first, second, third and 4th defendants without any legal representation. Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

After announcing thier appearance, counsels to the 5th and 6th defendants, A.A Uzokwu and Emmanuel Ochai told the court that the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants are playing game, adding that thesame thing happened on Wednesday when the same matter came up before another judge at Igboshere, stalling procedings in the process.

He urged the court to invoke sub-section 233 of section 3 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law(ACJL) and asign counsels to the defendants. At this point, the defendants were urged to tell the court why they had no legal representation. “Can the court be informed why first, second, third and 4th defendants have no representation”, Justice Hakeem Oshodi inquired.

Right from the dock, Evans told the court, he had no communication with his lawyer. Ogechi said thesame thing, ‘no communication” while
Okwuchukwu said, “My lord, I never knew he will not be here”.

“If it pleased my lord, Just an observation. I will like to confirm the statement of the 6th defendant. Yesterday we were in Lagos, that was the third adjournment granted by that court at the instance of the 5th defendant. My lord, the inference I am getting from this is that it is a kind of game they are playing. We are urging the court to invoke Section 233 of Section 3 of ACJL which allows the court to appoint counsel for a defendant in this circumstances.

“That is is our prayers: At first we brought our witness, he was out of jurisdiction and he has to come here. And if the defendants also wish, they can also defend themselves, it is their constitutional rights”, he told the court.

He insisted that the defendants are playing game. “Let them defend themselves. The matter was before your learnered brothers yesteday, we had the same issue, due to absence of representation, the matter was stalled. But we, counsel to the 6th defendants are ready to proceed. But my observation is that it is like a stationery vehicle, and we are just behind, so my application is for them to severe”, he said.

At this point, Justice Hakeem Oshodi observed that it is not for the court to decide adding that when you severe you have to have an adjusted charge. So what I advice is for you to get down and approach the stationery vehicle and ask what is your problem, so as to find solution to the problem.

“There is no other option, but like the learned counsel to the 5th defendant said, he used the world game. I think there is something in the Legal Practioners Act that once you take up a case for the client in criminal case, you have to be there to the end. You can’t just walk out of the court, that is rude. I known that in criminal matter, once you take up the case you have to be there unless the client says he wants another lawyer”, he said.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Oshodi said, let them be informed that the ACJL will be invoked during the next sitting if they are not here and ajourned till June 14, 2019

“Now let them be informed that if on the next day, they are not here, the court shall invoke the relevant section of the ACJL.Notify the office of Public defender to be in court on that day. Matter adjourned to the 14th of June”, he ruled.