A lawyer, Barrister Victor Giwa has asked a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory to decline jurisdiction in the case brought against him and one other, Bukola Ibitade, by the Nigeria Police.
In the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court, Giwa said the court has no power to try him on the charge brought against him by the Nigeria Police.
He urged the court to decline jurisdiction.
The police had accused Giwa of forging 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. Egebtolun, put a lie to the allegation of the police against Ibitade amd Giwa.
Despite the letter of Prof. Awa Kalu to the Inspector-General of Police, formally distancing himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Giwa and Ibitade, the police have gone ahead to press charge against Giwa.
Chief Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, had said his letterhead was never forged and that he had not at anytime lodged any complaint to the police about forgery of his document.
Professor Kalu, in a letter dated May 30, 2025, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Mr. Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead
.
During the proceedings Wednesday, Counsel to Giwa, Mr Farooq: Akanbi from. Dr. Ahmed Raji, SAN, Chamber, told the court about the pending application, challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
He said the application borders on jurisdiction which touches on the soul of the case.
Akanbi said, “The 1st defendant has an application seeking to relist the motion on notice earlier struck out by the court.
“The applications have been served on all the parties. The prosecution served us a counter-affidavit this morning. This motion should be taken before other pending applications.”
Police Prosecution, Theophilous Silas, said he filed a counter-affidavit and served the defendant adding that no copy of the application has been served on the court.
“We filed a counter affidavit and served but the court’s copy is not yet in the court’s file. The motion is not ripe for hearing and the court’s copy, although, served on the court, the registrar of the court said it will be put in the file after today’s proceedings.
“Furthermore, the 1st defendant hasn’t supplied a single basis, authority or facts that will suggest that the motion will take precedent over the prosecution’s motion. We urge the court to hold that the prosecution should move his motion.”
Ogbu Aboje, Counsel to Ibitade, confirmed receipt of the mtion from the 1st defendant and was also served with the counterr-affidavit this morning.
He told the court that the motion should be taken first because it challenges the jurisdiction of the court.
He argued that issues have been joined in the application and urged the court to consider the application first so that the records of the proceedings of the court will be straight.
In a short ruling, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, adjourned the case till February 12′, 2026 for all the pending applications to be taken
