05/03/2024
It was tough but he survived.
The loud knock on the door leading to the Judge’s Chambers by the Court Orderly reverberated through the courtroom, causing a momentary pause and forcing everyone to turn their attention towards the door, anticipating the arrival of His Lordship, Honourable Justice W. O Akanbi into the courtroom. As the door opened from inside, His Lordship emerged, fully robed in His red regalia, exuding an air of authority and reverence. The way He walked with calm and purpose to His seat, which was slightly raised above the rest of the courtroom ground, was a testament to His status.
My heart skipped some bits!
“My client is gone, no doubt!” That conclusion struck my mind as I glanced at the Defendant standing in the dock, head dropped down in a resigned countenance. I was very young in the profession but I had heard that when a judge was to deliver judgement in a capital offence case and He was robed in His red full regalia, He would definitely convict the defendant! I felt a deep pity for my client. His demeanour in the dock belied the offence he was standing trial for! I could not tell whether my conviction of his innocence was informed by the fact that he was my client or by the facts of the case available to me, but I believed he was not guilty of the charge of the gruesome murder of the young girl. As I sat in court expecting the court clerk to call my case, my mind helplessly wandered elsewhere.
Not long after I got the nod to practice law from the Council of Legal Education and was officially called to the Nigerian Bar, I found myself in Osogbo. As a newly-called-to-bar lawyer, often referred to as a "New Wig," I realised that I needed to "enrol" myself in the law office of a practising lawyer for pupillage, where I could learn the basic practical aspects of law practices for a reasonable period. Given my strong interest in law practices, I was determined to learn the practical intricacies of litigation and soliciting, which would complement the teachings I had received in the Law School. I had reckoned this experience would be critical in introducing me to the practical aspects of law practices and would enable me to gain valuable insights into the profession.
Searching through the town for a reputable law firm, fate took me to Remi Ayoade & Co, a law office established by Remi Ayoade Esq. I was actually introduced to Remi Ayoade & Co. by a revered learned senior, a former Attorney-General of Osun State, Mr Wale Afolabi because he did not have the space to accommodate me in his office at that moment. Remi Ayoade Esq. was reputed to be the most proficient and skilled criminal cases advocate in town and truly, as it turned out, that reputation and much more had been earned by my Principal. To God be the glory, he is now His Lordship, Honourable Justice Remi Ayoade!
“…The office opens from 8 am to 6 pm on Mondays to Fridays and 10 am to 2 pm on Saturdays….” My principal informed me during the interview.
“Yes sir…!” This is going to be tough! So, one has to come to work on Saturdays, too. I questioned in my mind.
“But… that is not to say one is expected to live a regimented life…” He continued as if he read my mind. “There is always time to relax and unwind…” I nodded in agreement. Little did I know that he was preparing me for the huge task ahead. His office was one of the busiest in town!
One of my early court appearances was to appear in this criminal matter before My Lord, Honourable Justice W. O. Akanbi. Although the case was fixed for judgment and all I had to do was sit in the court and listen to M’ Lord deliver His judgment, I still took it upon myself to read the case file. It was a case of murder! The gruesome murder of a young girl who was last seen with the Defendant! The Defendant and the victim were schoolmates and the young unfortunate girl had gone to the residence of the Defendant for a tutorial. She was last seen with the Defendant seeing her off after the tutorial. By the next day, the girl had been murdered and her dead body was discovered in the backyard of a church belonging to the Defendant’s father!
Throughout the hearing of the case, the Defendant had maintained that on the day they were seen together after the tutorial, they later went their separate ways. The Defendant gave the details of his movement afterwards up to the moment the lifeless body of the girl was discovered, but the police and the Department of Public Prosecution would not have that. What mattered was that he was the person last seen with the deceased and that made him liable for her death.
Of course, several people, including the Defendant’s father, had been arrested in connection with the crime and arraigned in court alongside the Defendant but all of them except the Defendant had been discharged on a no-case submission earlier on in the proceedings. A no-case submission is made by a defence counsel after the testimony of the prosecution witness(es) and it appears that no prima facie case has been established against the defendant. A prima facie case is established when the evidence given against the defendant requires him to make some explanations to cast reasonable doubt on his guilt.
“…Case number one on the list My Lord…” The Court Clerk announced.
I was je**ed out of my thoughts by that announcement…
To be continued…
