A human rights lawyer, Barrister Victor Giwa, has written to the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, to complain that he can’t get justice in his case pending before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
Giwa, who is being prosecuted by the police before Justice Onwuegbuzie, in the letter, demanded that his case be re-assigned to another judge.
The human rights lawyer alleged that the conduct of the judge and the nominal complainant, Asabe Waziri, indicates that the court is bent on convicting him.
In the letter dated January 14, 2025, Giwa appealed to the CJ to consider four different letters he has written on the matter and re-assign his case to another judge.
He informed the CJ that he had lost confidence in the judge and can no longer get justice in his court.
The letter, addressed to the FCT High Court Chief Judge, dated January 14, 2026, read, “With uttermost respect to your Lordship, recall that this is the 4th complaint I have presented before your Lordship with regard to the recusal of Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie on the above matter.
“None of my letters has been responded to by your Lordship, that is, I have not received any response with respect to all my complaints till date. My letters under reference are dated 12th November 2025, 17th November 2025 and 9th January 2026.
“My Lord, I also made three applications for recusal before Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie in this case. My Lord Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, in one of the applications, in an already prepared ruling, read before my application was moved, insisted to continue with the hearing of the matter.
“My Lord, my further complaints against the court of Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, upon which grounds I make this application are as follows:
That Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie has taken the matter personal against me. My Lord Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie threatens me in the open court and refuses to hear me in most applications made in the open court except I insist to be heard.
“My Lord Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie has already taken a position in all applications made by the prosecution, especially the application to revoke my bail, brought by the prosecution in conjunction with Asabe Waziri, the Nominal Complainant and sponsor of the trial.”
Giwa alleged that the nominal complainant, Waziri, is in close communication with the court, either directly or by proxy.
“Lastly, My Lord, Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie’s sitting on the 12th day of January, 2026, was to hear our case but I was curious that only the court of Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie sat on the 12 of January 2026, when all other courts located in Apo did not sit, principally, because the Apo Resettlement Court Complex was undergoing renovation.
“However, report from the grapevine disclosed that Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie’s sitting on the said date of 12th January, 2026, was deliberately to entertain my matter, so that the court could hear the prosecution’s application to revoke my bail and grant same, while dismissing all my applications challenging the honourable court’s jurisdiction.
“My Lord, at every sitting of the court since the 27th of November 2025, there has been over 10 armed policemen who have always been deposited inside the courtroom providing protection for Asabe Waziri. I reliably gathered that the police deployment was at the instance of Asabe Waziri who became uncomfortable with the presence of members of the public who are enamoured by the “desecration of the temple of justice” in the court of Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie. The said police deployment I was reliably informed was approved by your Lordship.
“It is disturbing and alarming that even our trial courts for Boko Haram suspects and bandits in Nigeria do not enjoy the kind of police presence in their court rooms. That Asabe Waziri enjoys this kind of attention shows that the Hon. Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie’s court is Asabe’s nest.
“l am aware that Asabe Waziri has four other cases against me spread in the FCT High Court. My noble Lord, I am persuaded that Your Lordship is fully aware of these developments, especially as I have always brought them to your Lordship’s notice.”
The police is prosecuting Giwa and his co-accused, Bukola Ibitade, for allegedly forging the letterhead paper of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Awa Kalu.
But Awa Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode. Egebtokun, denied the forgery of his letterhead paper, adding that he never made such a complaint.
Despite the letter in which Awa Kalu distanced himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Giwa and his co-accused, Bukola Ibitade, the police went ahead to press charges.
Kalu, in the letter dated May 30, 2025, and addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.
I can’t get justice – Lawyer writes FCT High Court Chief Judge, wants case reassigned
