Aregbesola, Osun judge, NJC, Falana enmeshed in divorce mess

A serving judge in Osun State, Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, who in June petitioned the state House of Assembly to impeach the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for alleged financial recklessness is now facing what can best be described as judicial harassment.

After being queried by the State Judicial Service Commission (SJSC) for writing the petition, Oloyede is now facing another chapter of her life. She has been dragged to the National Judicial Commission (NJC) for alleged husband snatching. One Mrs. Emily Richard-Obire, alleged that the Judge has ‘illegally taken custody of her husband’ and has brought in an activist lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) to help her ‘retrieve; her husband.

Emily’s petition prompted the NJC to issue a query against Justice Oloyede.

In her petition dated July 13, 2015, Emily stated that she only “recently” discovered that the judge had been having an affair to the detriment of her (Richard-Obire’s) matrimonial home since 2011.

And the Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the NJC, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, who personally signed the query, directed Justice Oloyede to respond to the query within 14 days of receiving it.

But Oloyede now has supporters in a group called, The Civil Societies Coalition for Emancipation of Osun State, to defend her.

The group debunked the allegation against Justice Oloyede describing her predicament as an attempt to ‘kick her ass’ for writing a petition against the state governor, of which the governor has been exonerated by the State House of Assembly.

In a statement by the group signed by the Chairman and its Director of Mobilisation, Adeniyi Sulaiman and Rev. Theophilus Ayodeji, the group said it had investigated and found out that Justice (Mrs.) L.A.M Folami of Ikeja High Court had since dissolved the marriage between the woman and her former husband.

It added that going by the query dated July 28, 2015 issued to the judge by the National Judicial Counci , it appeared that the NJC was falling into the antics of politicians by turning the body into a customary court where marital issues were being settled.

They said the woman’s former husband was free to fall in love with anybody he choses, while criticising the woman’s counsel, Femi Falana, for allegedly digging up the case to discredit the judge.

The group also accused Falana of working for Governor Rauf Aregbesola to disparage the judge because of her petition to the House of Assembly that the governor should be impeached.

“Our group has thoroughly investigated that matter and found out that Mr. Falana was a lawyer to Mrs. Richard-Obire in the divorce case filed with her husband, Mr. Ricahrd Obire in 2012 at an Ikeja High Court in Lagos.

Read also: Assembly dumps judge’s petition against Aregbesola

“Already, the case with suit number ID/473HD/2012 has been decided and the court, presided over by Justice (Mrs) L.A.M Folami, had legally dissolved this marriage between Mrs. Emily and her former husband and so the case remained closed. We believe that by the law of the federation, Mr. Obire has the right in the world to love whomever he wants and to marry anyone without any prejudice’.

“Our group has it on good authority that Emily’s husband, Mr. Richard Obire had to file a divorce case because he caught his wife (Emily) having an extra- marital affair in Ikeja, Lagos State in year 2010.

“Although, we are sure that the woman judge was able to defend herself as our check at the state High Court indicated that she had replied to this query through the office of the Chairman of the State Judicial Commission,” the statement said.

The group maintained that it was not surprised that politicians were fighting dirty because of the courage of the judge to tackle the governor based on issues of financial recklessness, but said it was surprised that the NJC would allow itself to be used by these unscrupulous politicians

Osun State has been in the news recently for the government’s inability to pay civil servants salary.

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