An Abia high court presided over by Justice Collinton Okoroafor sitting at Okpuala in Isiala Ngwa North local government of the state, has adjourned indefinitely, a matter to determine the authentic leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the state because of missing case file.
Justice Okoroafor, while ruling on an order to transfer the case from his court to another high court in Osisioma local government of the state, said he cannot transfer the matter to another court without the case file.
It will be recalled that the State Chief Judge, Justice Kalu Ogwe, was said to have in connivance with the Chief Registrar, Mr. Benson Anya, allegedly removed the case file without the knowledge of the presiding judge (Okoroafor).
In his ruling on Thursday, Justice Okoroafor said that the case is still before him, adding that it has not been transferred to another court and that anyone saying otherwise is merely misleading the general public.
He said, “No judge worthy of my office would transfer a case without the case file of the matter before him.
“I wondered what the judge will write on the transfer papers. That is why I insist that due process must be followed before a case will be transferred.
“I had earlier made an order asking the CR who took away the case file of a matter that has been pending in my court without my knowledge to return the case file before 18th of October which he never did”.
The high court judge, who expressed worry that the CR disobeyed his court order, wondered what judicial system was turning into in the state, pointing out that he was surprised to receive a statement asking him to hands off the case by the Chief Judge without due process.
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