The telephone call records of judges at the First Osun State Elections Petition Tribunal, and a lawyer representing one of the contending parties, point to a plot to subvert justice
By Babajide Kolade-Otitoju
‘You can default in every arm of government, but you dare not default in the judiciary. That’s where God himself sits on the throne. You are, therefore, representing Amighty God Himself, as you sit on that throne.’
These were the words of Justice Anthony Aniagolu, one of the most respected retired justices of the Supreme Court, during an interview last year in Enugu. The old jurist affirmed in the interview, published in the 12 November 2007 edition of TheNEWS, that no effort must be spared to rescue the judiciary from corruption, arguing that of all the arms of government, the one nearest to God is the judiciary. “Justice represents the Almighty God himself. It touches the heart of God and once you are corrupt on the bench, you no more deserve to sit on that bench,” he emphasised. Aniagolu clearly sees judges as representatives of God on earth and will readily cite the Bible to support his assertion.
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Even if some will disagree that judges are God’s representatives on earth, the primacy of justice in our world and the fact that fairness is the conveyor belt of justice are not likely to be disputed. Indeed, when a man steps within the four walls of a court, he expects to be fairly treated. If he lacks the good fortune of facing a fair judge, he knows he is doomed. Yet, without a fair heart and disposition, no judge can truly dispense justice.
Justices at the Osun State First Election Petitions Tribunal seem to be turning a deaf ear to all the preachment by Aniagolu as they manifest signs that they have been compromised by agents and lawyer of Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Mr. Kunle Kalejaiye, a senior advocate. As far as evidence can go, the judges have been cosying up to the lawyer, speaking regularly with him on phone and, in fact, plotting with him to ensure victory for Oyinlola at the expense of the petitioner, Engr. Rauf Aregbesola, governorship candidate of the Action Congress, in the 18 April, 2007 election. Eminent lawyers TheNEWS spoke with affirmed that it is clearly stated in the ethics of the legal profession and the Legal Practitioners Act that no judge shall hold secret talks with a counsel. According to an Abuja-based lawyer, Chief Godwin Obla, “if a counsel holds a talk outside the court without giving the other parties the opportunity to participate in the discussion, the judge is guilty of prejudicing court proceedings and it is very wrong and against natural justice, as the judgment may be skewed in favour of the party he had been discussing in secret with. It is against this background that judges are taught not to descend into the arena of conflict.”Obla cited two cases decided by the Supreme Court in 1988: Okoduwa vs the State and Uso vs the State. In the two judgments, the apex court held that it is wrong and unlawful for a judge to descend into an arena of conflict. The Supreme Court also warned judges not to be loquacious, so that they do not prejudice proceedings.
According to Rule 34, Rule of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2007), “a lawyer should not do anything or conduct himself in such a way as to give the impression or allow the impression to be created that his acts or conduct are calculated to gain or have the appearance of gaining special personal consideration or favour from a judge.”
Before this particular rule was amended, the words were no less equivocal about the need for lawyers to avoid a relationship with judges that could only lead to judges being compromised. “A lawyer should never show marked attention or unusual hospitality to a judge, uncalled for by the personal relations of the parties. He should avoid anything calculated to gain or having the appearance of gaining special personal considerations or favour from a judge,” Rule 34 of the Professional Conduct of Legal Practitioners affirmed prior to its amendment.
The rule, as lawyers and retired jurists TheNEWS discussed with last week pointed out, emphasises the need for lawyers to see themselves as ministers in the temple of justice. This places on them an obligation to ensure that in their conduct, both in and outside the court, they do not compromise the integrity and independence of the judicial process.
Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution also guarantees the right to fair hearing by a court or tribunal established by law and constituted in such a manner as to secure its independence and impartiality. TheNEWS’ checks show that a basis of this provision is the rule against bias, more appropriately put, the likelihood of bias. A judge is admonished to disqualify himself if there is financial, even personal or filial relationship with a party to a case being tried by him. This, it is reasoned, will ensure that justice is not only done, but seen to have been done.
Where there are regular telephone conversations and exchanges of text messages (SMS) between a judge handling a case and a lawyer for one of the parties, lawyers argue that it can only lead to a conclusion that there is personal affinity bordering on some form of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, thereby contravening provisions of Section 36 of the Constitution.
“This is why as a matter of judicial tradition judges are usually insulated against overt and public interaction. The idea is to protect them against situations that can compromise their independence, impartiality and integrity,” a lawyer told this magazine last week.
Another legal practitioner pointed to Paragraph 1 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in the 5th Schedule of the 1999 Constitution, which provides that a public officer shall not put himself in a position where his personal interest conflicts with his duties and responsibilities. He argued that the judge of a tribunal is a public officer and that perversion of the course of justice amounts to professional misconduct.
But how did the judges of the Osun State First Election Petitions Tribunal, namely Thomas Naron, Sa’adu Mohammed, Joy Akpughunum, A.T. Badamasi and J.E. Ekanem slip into the cesspool of scandal by their very regular telephone calls to Kalejaiye, the lead counsel to Governor Oyinlola?
TheNEWS investigations at MTN Nigeria showed that Justice Thomas Damar Naron was actually the first to call Kalejaiye. Checks conducted by this magazine covering the period between 1 October 2007 and 21 May 2008 showed that the Plateau-born Naron opened his “telephone account” with Kalejaiye on 1 December 2007. On that day, the judge, who is the Chairman of the tribunal, sent two text messages to Kalejaiye.
The first text message came in at 1.37 p.m, while the second came in at 8.46 p.m. The judge reached Kalejaiye using his (Naron’s) line 08037035105, registered with MTN Nigeria. For his first text message to Kalejaiye, Naron did not get a reply, but the unyielding judge got the instant reply he badly needed after he sent Kalejaiye another SMS at 8.46 p.m. The lawyer’s reply, according to available evidence, came in at exactly 8.47 pm on 1 December 2007.
The impatient Naron was keen to establish a strong rapport with the lawyer handling a governor’s brief. So, on 2 December, 2007, the judge caused Kalejaiye to stagger out of bed when he sent him a text message at 5.31 a.m. To this, the jurist got a reply. Yet, the judge sent another text message at 8.57 p.m. to Kalejaiye and was charged N14 having exceeded 160 words. With both men having established a strong link, via SMS, they soon began communicating regularly via voice calls. Naron’s first voice call came on 2 December at 6.54 a.m, shortly after the judge had sent a text message at 5.31 a.m. to Kalejaiye’s line: 08034062075.
Between 1 December 2007 and 14 April, 2008 Naron called Kalejaiye 46 times, using his (Naron’s) MTN line: 08037035105. On his MTN line 08034062075, Kalejaiye sent the judge several text messages. On 14 April, the beginning of a very important week in the tussle at the tribunal, Kalejaiye sent two SMS to Naron. The first came in at 6.35 a.m, meaning Naron did not have the monopoly of making telephone calls so early in the morning. The text message was registered as two pages and it was to Naron’s line: 08037035105 registered with the MTN as the judge’s line. The next day, Kalejaiye also sent the judge a text message at 1.18 p.m.
Later on, Naron acquired a new line. And immediately, Kalejaiye and the judge demonstrated a preference for communicating on the new line: 08073160534. Between 17 April and 30 May, 2008, Kalejaiye sent 53 text messages to the judge on the new line. Between both men, there was certainly evidence of increased activity on the new line.
Why the judge opted for a new line is unknown. Between 1 December 2007 and 14 May, 2008 Naron sent 28 text messages to Kalejaiye and the judge was billed N7 per SMS by MTN. When the two gentlemen chose to speak, their conversation was usually short and direct to the point. For example, on 2 December 2008 at 6.54 a.m, Naron called Kalejaiye and they spoke for just 25 seconds. However, on 7 April, 2008 when both men spoke at 1.53 p.m, they did for two minutes.
Many of these calls were made very early in the morning, sometimes before 5.30, and in the afternoon. Text mesages were exchanged anytime and were usually couched to address specific demands. TheNEWS has a record of Kalejaiye’s calls to his client, Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and a pattern, whereby Oyinlola and Kalejaiye would speak on phone and then minutes later, the lawyer was on the line to Naron was established. An example will suffice on the governor’s line: 08034040588. On 19 March 2008, Kalejaiye called the governor at exactly 10:55am. Same day at 11:37am, Justice Naron called Kalejaiye. However, there is no record showing Oyinlola directly called the judge at any time, except if the governor used a different line.
TheNEWS investigations showed that the opening of phone conversations between Naron and Kalejaiye marked a turning point in the conduct of the Tribunal to parties in the governorship tussle. Analysts posit that before December 2007 when Naron and Kalejaiye began talking, the Tribunal was patently even-handed, even impressing the petitioners by its decision to allow them to use scientific means to prove the alleged rigging of the governorship election in the state. Even when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, refused to allow forensic examination of the ballots by an order of the tribunal on 14 August 2007, forensic experts were allowed to examine and scan the electoral materials. However, by 1 December, when Naron and Kalejaiye began talking on phone, the tables turned against Aregbesola’s legal team. And the greatest evidence of this came on 18 February 2008 when the tribunal curiously disallowed the presentation of the results of the forensic examination it had ordered in the first place, a ruling described by a lawyer as “benefiting the offender and punishing the victim”.
If the petitioner (Aregbesola) argued that he started getting the short end of the stick after Oyinlola’s lawyer and the judges began communicating, evidence shows that he would not be far from the truth. There is incontrovertible evidence too that from that moment, before key rulings were made, the judges made a duty of communicating with Kalejaiye. The lawyer usually sought advice on what moves to make. On the eve of key rulings, it was often Kalejaiye putting a call through to the judges. Those calls were often made late in the night, in the morning before sittings and during recess by the Tribunal preparatory to its ruling.
In the days leading to the tribunal’s ruling disallowing the presentation of the results of the forensic test, on the ground that the evidence was not in tandem with the clause that required such evidence only in extreme circumstances, Kalejaiye and the tribunal judges stepped up their conversations on phone.
On 15 February 2008, records show that Kalejaiye called Justice Ekanem four times: at 17:51p.m, 17.20 p.m, 17.20:59 p.m, and 10.24 a.m. The longest of those calls lasted 2 minutes and 53 seconds and that was the call made at 10.24 a.m. On the D-day, 18 February, just before the ruling, Kalejaiye called Ekanem twice at 12.36 p.m. and 12.47:20 p.m. The first call lasted 2 minutes and 42 seconds. The tribunal after all these, naturally ruled against the petitioner.
On 17 March, the same day the tribunal ruled against a stay of proceedings pending appeal on its ruling against Adrian Forty, the forensic expert, at 10.51:32 a.m, Kalejaiye sent Ekanem a text message. Three minutes later, Ekanem replied the text. Again, the ruling went against the petitioner. Before that day, Kalejaiye had called Naron on 13 March at 12.54 p.m.
On 7 April, 2008 the tribunal made yet another key ruling on the application for adjournment, pending determination of an application for stay at the Court of Appeal. That day, call records obtained by this magazine showed that Kalejaiye called Ekanem six times between noon and 7 p.m. The first call came in at 12.22 p.m, while the last came in at 7.07 p.m. That was not all, on Thursday 17 April 2008, the Tribunal ruled on mode of tendering documents from the local councils. The day before, Naron sent Kalejaiye text messages twice at 6.12 a.m. But there is no evidence that the messages were delivered, as Naron was not billed by the service provider.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Ekanem opted now to go for voice calls, talking directly to Kalejaiye. That day, a very busy one for the three men, Kalejaiye sent two text messages and made three voice calls to Ekanem. Realising that the stakes were becoming very high, Kalejaiye also sent two early morning text messages to Naron. The first was sent at 6.12 a.m.
On 15 May 2008, the tribunal rejected police report on the election in Osun State, declaring that it was marked secret. However, before that ruling, Kalejaiye had sent 11 text messages to Justice Naron.
The most scandalous discovery of all is that some of the text messages exchanged among the trio of Naron, Ekanem and Kalejaiye came in during the tribunal’s sittings, as the men desperately found a way to make crucial communication on the floor of the tribunal. With the backing of the judges, Kalejaiye knew exactly when to object to any issue thrown up by the rival lawyer and there was no prize for guessing what the action of the tribunal members would be. The lawyer was literally chaperoned during the sittings by the tribunal members, led by Naron.
There was probably some form of competition between Naron and Ekanem, a judge from Akwa Ibom State, for Kalejaiye’s heart. Both judges regularly punctuated Kalejaiye’s sleep with voice calls and SMS and the lawyer never failed to reply the men who hold the key to his client’s victory at the tribunal.
Investigations showed that the telephone contact between Kalejaiye and Ekanem was established on 8 January 2008, when Ekanem sent his first text message to Kalejaiye at 7.15 a.m. He followed this up with another one at 10.32 a.m on his line 08034105705. By 27 June, 2008 the end of the period covered by TheNEWS’ checks at MTN Nigeria, Ekanem had either called or sent text messages to Kalejaiye 213 times! He regularly called Kalejaiye on the lawyer’s line: 08034062075. This is the lawyer’s most preferred line, one of the two phone numbers boldly printed on his call card and through which most friends and professional colleagues communicate with him.
Investigations showed that so obsessed with pestering the Osun Tribunal judges was Kalejaiye that he ensured at least a credit balance of between N80,000 and N100,000 on his phone. That way he can send text messages as well as call the judges any time he pleases. For example, on 22 May 2008, Kalejaiye had a balance of N97,264 on his phone. There are also hints that Naron may have obtained favour from Kalejaiye. For example on 18 April 2008, the judge sent a text message to Kalejaiye, saying: “OK, I’m grateful.” The message came in at 5:12 p.m. There were many other messages of similar language.
An attempt to speak with Naron was futile. On the phone, the judge said: “By virtue of my position as a public servant, I cannot talk to you. I can’t. The ethics of my profession forbid such. I wish you luck.” But how did the dalliance between Kalejaiye, who defended Senator Iyiola Omisore when he was charged with the murder of former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, begin? Nobody in Oshogbo last week could say with certainty. But those familiar with goings-on at the tribunal credit Oyinlola’s aides with working hard at penetrating the rearguards of the experienced judges, who were drawn from Kano, Rivers, Borno, Akwa Ibom and Plateau state ministries of justice.
“When the tribunal ruled that Aregbesola’s lawyer could use scientific means to prove rigging in Osun State, they were taken aback. They knew they had to work real hard at winning the judges over, so they stuck at it,” an Oshogbo-based lawyer said last week.
A very dependable source told TheNEWS that it became easier to penetrate the judges after the former tribunal interpreter was replaced with a certain Ms Sade Alaba Adewunmi.
Sade, who got the job last September, regularly makes sorties to Royal Hotel, Ilobu, where the tribunal members are quartered. Justice Naron’s call record is generously sprinkled with calls from phone number: 08066572719, Sade’s line.
Indeed, between 16 January 2008 and 15 May 2008, Naron called Sade 33 times and sent her text message 13 times! Evidence also abounds that even Kalejaiye regularly contacts Sade, via voice calls, SMS or MMS. Even now, tongues are still wagging about the mysterious death of the former assistant secretary of the tribunal, Alhaji Suleiman Omolabi, an Ilorin indigene, on 4 October 2007. The deceased was noted for his incorruptible nature. His death still rankles many in the Osun State capital, especially AC supporters, who suspect that he was poisoned because he refused to be compromised. As yet, there is no cast-iron evidence that Omolabi was a victim of poisoning, even though that suspicion is strong in the Osun State capital.
The AC had long suspected that the Osun Tribunal had been compromised. The evidence of close affinity between the judges and Kalejaiye, constant communication and marked attention the judges are giving the lawyer, will make the party now feel vindicated. In a petition dated 29 February 2008 addressed to the president of the Court of Appeal, the party had called for the disbandment of the tribunal which it described as “having no redeeming features”.
It also described the tribunal as “completely compromised as its conduct and rulings have shown”. In the petition signed by the party’s National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, the party accused the tribunal of deliberate and premeditated decisions, showing obvious bias in favour of the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party. It noted that as far as the tribunal members are concerned, the admissibility of public documents depended on whether they would benefit PDP candidates or not.
The party particularly complained about the conduct of the only female member of the panel, Justice Joy Akpughunum, whom it accused of openly gesticulating either by frowning her face or smiling animatedly “depending on whether the point in issue appears favourable to the respondents (PDP)”. Akpughunum was also accused of exerting undue influence on the chairman, dictating to him what to write or what not to write. Last November, when the INEC counsel was cross-examining one of the petitioners’ witnesses and asked a question which exposed INEC and the respondents, Akpughunum was said to have dropped her pen and described it as a stupid question.
To halt the perceived injustice being meted by the tribunal, the petitioners asked for the reconstitution of a new tribunal consisting of judges of integrity and competence “who take more seriously the judicial oath they have solemnly taken to dispense justice without fear or favour, affection or ill-will”. The petition was sent to the Chief Justice of the Federation, National Judicial Council and the Nigerian Bar Association. So far, no action has been taken on the petition.
The Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal walked into a swirl of controversy when on 18 February 2008, it refused to accept the result of forensic examination with which Aregbesola had sought to prove that the gubernatorial election in the state was characterised by vote rigging and other electoral malpractices and that he won a majority of the lawful votes. He brought in a foreign forensic expert, Adrian Forty, a Briton, to conduct the tests. The forensic report on Osun State showed that ballot papers meant for Ondo State found their way into Osun State. It also revealed that 41 percent of the 224,695 votes analysed (out of a total of 426,669 INEC credited to Oyinlola) were fraudulently obtained. Forensic examination detected that 113,311 of Oyinlola’s votes analysed from 10 local government areas were from illegal ballot boxes not supplied by INEC, as listed in Form EC40C/EC25. This implies that they are alien to Osun State as far as the gubernatorial election was concerned.
Again, 88,092 of Oyinlola’s votes were from split ballot booklets, meaning they were ballots illegally used outside their allocated booths in the 10 LGAs analysed. Similarly, 117,439 of Oyinlola’s votes were detected to be products of ballot stuffing in the 10 LGAs analysed. Analysts believe that had the Naron-led tribunal allowed Adrian Forty to testify after his forensic examination of the ballots, the tribunal would have had no choice but to declare Aregbesola winner of the election.
“We made the point that the only scientifically acceptable method by which we can prove the allegation of rigging made against Oyinlola and INEC is through the use of biometric or forensic technology, but the tribunal held on to technicalities which the Supreme Court had warned should not be the premise for ruling on election petitions,” Ajibola Bashiru, Aregbesola’s lawyer contended.
According to Adrian Forty, “the magnitude of evidence gathered, in my opinion, conclusively proves that an operation of systematic multiple voting had been conducted on a huge scale across the state of Osun,” noting that out of 124,695 ballot papers examined by him, 93,088 were with multiple votes, just as stuffing of ballot papers occurred in 509 polling units. Many Nigerians condemned the ruling of the Osun tribunal, especially when the second election petitions panel in the same state voted to accept the result of the forensic test as they concern the House of Assembly polls. Wole Ayoola, a Lagos-based lawyer said the events taking place in the First Osun Election Petitions Tribunal show that moral midgets still abound in the Nigerian judiciary, despite recent gains made by that arm of government.
But how will the First Osun State Tribunal come out of the present scandal? In an interview with TheNEWS last week, Justice Anthony Aniagolu said by communing with the lawyer representing one side in a case before it, the Naron-led tribunal was risking God’s wrath. “It is not done. If you are called a judge, you are representing God. How can you be communing with one side when you are supposed to be an arbiter at the centre. You are insulting God if you are taking side in a case and God will not accept that,” he warned. He recalled that as a judge serving in Calabar, he convicted an Igbo man who attempted to compromise him over a case.
Erudite scholar and social critic, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN) described it as something that should not happen. “For a judge to be holding private or secret negotiation with a party on a matter before him without giving the other party the opportunity to partake in the discussion is regarded as a capital offence against fair hearing. Under the 1999 Constitution, such a development will render the entire proceedings a nullity… Whenever this happens it prejudices the proceedings. It breeds corruption and skewed judgment. If a whisper of such discussion becomes public knowledge, even if judgment has been entered, if the aggrieved party goes to the Court of Appeal, the appellate court will nullify the judgment and order a retrial,” he explained.
Sagay stressed that even if a lawyer is writing to a court on anything, “you must notify the other party. You can’t write on a matter that concerns the court.” And he is convinced that the National Judicial Council will do justice to this case and others as it has done in the past. “As the tribunals wind up, we shall hear of judges who have been dismissed because there is evidence that some of them took bribes in some of these tribunals. These judges are so shameless that they strike out every case on technical grounds against one side. NJC is monitoring them,” he declared.
When TheNEWS sought Kalejaiye’s view on the issue of lawyers unduly influencing judges, he was vehement in condemning the practice, even denying that it happens in the country. He said it is unethical and any lawyer or judge engaged in such practice should be sanctioned. In any case, he said, there was no time he ever did so since he never had cause to.
“If that is your purpose of coming here, I say it again that I have not seen a judge outside courtroom. I do not romance judges that are handling my case. And anybody that has fact that I am romancing a judge should come up with the fact,” he asserted.
He blamed the incidence of such accusations on Nigerians being bad losers who would cook up unsubstantiated reasons to explain their loss of cases.
“…In all aspects of life we are very bad losers in Nigeria…We need to be careful in this country not to make allegations based on emotion,” he said.
Legal practitioners spoken to said lawyers who behave the way Kalejaiye has behaved with judges of the Osun tribunal may be suspended for some years or have their names permanently struck off the roll of legal practitioners. But, in the meantime, Nigerians can only wait patiently to see how this judicial aberration and pure manifestation of partisanship in the First Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal will be handled.
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BABATUNDE OGALA Esq
7 July 2008 13:08I WILL JUST ADVISE THE JUDGES OF THE TRIBUNAL TO DO THE HONOURABLE THING,NOW THAT THEIR DISHONOURABLE ACTS HAVE BEEN UNCOVERED TO RESIGN ENMASSE FROM THE BENCH.
THE NATIONAL JUDICIAL COUNCIL MUST ALSO IMMEDIATELY CAUSE THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE LAW TO BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON THESE INFAMOUS JUDGES.THEY ARE A DISGRACE TO THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND THE BENCH.
AS FOR THE LAWYER INVOLVED,HE MUST ALSO BE MADE TO FACE THE LEGAL PRACTITIONERS DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
TO METE OUT THE APPROPRIATE SANCTION AGAINST HIM FOR THIS MOST INFAMOUS CONDUCT.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE COURT OF APPEAL MUST ALSO CONSTITUTE A FRESH PANEL TO HEAR THE PETITION DE NOVO.
BOTH THE JUDGES AND THE COUNSEL TO THE RESPONDENT HAVE BROUGHT SHAME TO THE BENCH AND THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND THEY MUST BE MADE TO PAY FOR IT.
THIS IS SHAMEFUL.
Oluyole ayemojuba
7 July 2008 13:41There is nothing new in this. Across the nation some have been bold and defend the estate of justice fearlessly. some have been compromised with marmon and threat of untoward actions on their persons and relations. Some just capitulate at the sheer sight of power and the promise of opulence to be bestowed. The people can sleep and suffer iniquities not eternally. History is the witness. People will come out of the comatose the sweet deceit and soporific entanglement have burdened them with. Let the serpentine coils of evil co-opt all the co-optables. Justice no matter how hard pushed, pressed, distressed, and ruthlessly suppressed to bow to weight of iniquities, it always, in the end prevails. History is the witness. Let the Ojo’s son be given to Aina, and let Lakasegbe’s victory be given to the Lamorins. They have only been given a poison of life that torments their conscience until the last moment. No one sees it, but them -wrapping the pain in their clothes and the shame on their persons. People know who the thieves are, even though they pretend to be and they are presented as Princes. Justice always has its last laugh.
ABIOLA DOSUMU
7 July 2008 16:37Help the poor soldiers too. Not only the judiciary that is corrupt, the worst corruption is in the military among the very senior officers. Help this country from going collapse. Thankyou.
ibrahimmuazm
7 July 2008 17:13it is not a strange in this country where suprior court of record has been found in financial scandal.it is the collective duty of every citizens to stand up,and fights this phenomenon.this fighting could include what ever is possible.
Ayour Pee
8 July 2008 10:32I know a certain lawyer amongst members of the Osun State Tribunal who is very close to a prominent Osun State man who is a confidant of the Osun State Governor. It is a known fact that the Lawyer was appointed into the Tribunal through the recommendation of this prominent man. Are you still then wondering if ‘The News’ story is cooked up. It is what is happening all over the country but i know that the Almighty shall not leave us in their unsafe hands for ever.
Judges who collect bribes to give false judgement shall be judged by the ultimate Judge - God
Abimbola Abubakar
8 July 2008 11:46One had always suspected something was wrong with the set up there what with the speed at which AC were losing their cases. Oyinlola may be a prince, but one thing he must know is that Okuku is just a minute part of Osun. He can therefore not impose royalty on us here. He has been told in clear language in April 2007 that if he wants desperately to rule over a people, the stool at Okuku could accommodate him, but not Oshogbo.
Kunle Atanda (London)
8 July 2008 13:09What a shame! Even the unborn children knew that Oyinlola robbed Aregbesola during the last polls. Let the tribunal compomise and legalise the illegality, it is only a matter of time, truth will prevail. The spirits of our ancestors will torment them - the evil doers, the manipulators. Let’s wait, the King that disciplined Adedibu and Abacha will ensure justice at the appropriate time.
Steve
8 July 2008 13:28I am not suprised at all, AC lost all her cases, the worst tribunal in the history of Nigeria, every sane being knows that Aregbesola will lose at the stupid panel called tribunal, the judges should remember what happened what happened to Justice selong in 2003, where cash was distributed and was proved to NJC and they were punished appropriately. Oyinlola has destroyed virtually everything in Osun. God will save us.
Olanrewaju
8 July 2008 15:07It is annoying, saddening and laughable to hear shamful things about this nation, corrupt leaders, collapsed educational sector, unfruitful probes, Niger Delta etc. Now, when keepers of justice are unjust, then what shall we do? Well lets hear Ya’radua, the apostle of the Rule of Law.
PROMISE STANLEY
8 July 2008 15:18I quite agree with the words of the retired Justice Anthony Aniagolu that no effort must be spared to rescue the judiciary from corruption. He arguing that of all the arms of government, the one nearest to God is the judiciary is totally true. Going through the various verdicts given by various levels of court rulings (from the Election Tribuanal to the Supreme Court) especially as it concerns election in Nigeria keeps one in doubt on the saying that “the judiciary is the last hope of the common man” The supreme court judgement on Ameachi vs Omehia still baffles me till today. Also the judgements delivered by different election tribunals at different levels in different parts of the country still amazes me. the “lack of Merits” statements by various tribunals to my mind tantamounts to compromise in some cases. However, the bold step taken by a few fearless and courageous Judges in upholding the tenets of the rule of law should be commended. Also,Judges who were found wanting should be brought to book to serve as a daterrant to others who may think that they may go away with any injustice meted on the nation and for the safety of our hard earn democracy.
Olo Matete
8 July 2008 16:48Gents
Do we have a country called Nigeria again, NO, what we have now is individual, just believe in yourself, it would take millions of years to get to promised land, I dont know who would help us out of this nation problem, and this continent problem, I dont know why people have to believe they are to be in Government by force, or do and die affair, they wanted government to buy them car, feed their family, etc, all those in power now and those coming, are not interested in the masses, they are all intersted in what they are going to loot from their various constituency, let all of them go and find a good job and stop disturbing this individual, struggling on their own to survive the hardship of the world economy, you are talking about justice in NIgeria, please note that we no have all underlisted in the country, I dont know why you are now talking of justice,
—–Life in the country,——-to me, I believe all Nigerians are leaving corps—- (Security) anybody can be attacked and kill and nothing would happen
Police, Soldier can just decide to be called upon or go any town, villages, state capitals (Ondo state for example) and started killing innocent citizen, nothing would happen, and now you are talking of justice
—-Water
—-Electricity
—-Essential aparatus of life, we dont have them in this country,
I am presently ashame to say that I belong to this country talkless of Osun state, where citizen do no guarantee their safety, anybody can be attacked, either you are a good citizen, or tax payer, one idiot can disturb your peace where nothing would happen, even in my town Ilesa, this present Governor Adviser was beating publicly, and nothing happen after , they could only go for the arrest and later , they would bail them out, thieves do come to private apartment in day light, they would knocked at your door, and you have to open for them, all these are left over of those boys they used for their election campaying, so I dont know what would even happen in few hours to this time,
WE ARE NOT SAFE IN THE STATE
ola
8 July 2008 17:54Leave the Judges alone. Give them free hand to performed their duty .Who tell You that AREGBESOLA is OSUN messiah.
The world has seen a lot of vidoe recorded> We have seen how Kabiyesi ONI of Ife was roped during Babagida regime. The world also have watched USA president have affair with His secretary. We are in computer world you perform any miracle with latest IT.
Kunle Kalejaye,SAN
8 July 2008 18:18Readers will find it quite interesting by joining me to study the tables (call logs) which TheNews magazine claimed it sourced from MTN:
1. The table (log) on page 21 of the magazine has the headline —SOME OF JUSTICE NARON’S CALLS TO KALEJAYE—and gave my number 08034062075 as the recipient of the calls.
2. The table (log) on page 22 of the magazine has the headline-KALEJAYE’S SMS TO JUSTICE NARON-and gave the same number of mine as above-08034062075- as the recipient of text messages I purportedly sent to Justice Naron.
Is The News magazine saying that I sent the text messages to myself or that Justice Naron and I share the same telephone line?
3. Again, in the body of the story, especially on page 21 of the magazine, The News gave 08037035105 as the telephone number of Justice Naron to which it said I purportedly made calls and sent text messages. I have looked through all the tables (call logs) displayed in the 14 page report and surprisingly I did not see the number 08037035105 appearing even once as an entry receiving my calls and text messages! Readers and members of the public can also help me look at all the tables (call logs) and study them to ascertain my claims.
4. Readers will observe too that the number 08073160534, a GLO line (not MTN again) was conveniently introduced at a stage by The News magazine as Justice Naron’s new number. Could the magazine be claiming that the judge changed his line and then called a press conference to announce same?
5. I strongly invite readers’ close attention to all the tables (logs) presented as facts (data) by The News magazine upon which it built its house of lies to cast a slur on my integrity. Call logs are computer generated data on all voice and data calls from and into a given telephone line. Could the self contradictory tables displayed by The News magazine pass for call logs from a telecommunication company?
Kunle Kalejaye,SAN
8 July 2008 18:27RE: SCANDAL OF JUDGES: MY OWN STORY
I have read with shock and disbelief the current edition of The News Magazine Vol. 31 No. 1.
In the said publication, certain allegations were made against me bothering on perversion of justice. Since the publication, my phone line has been busy. Friends, associates professional colleagues and well wishers have called me to express their anxiety on the said publication. Also since The News went public with my phone number, I have received threat calls and texts.
I wish to assure my friends, associates, well wishers and the entire legal community in Nigeria that all allegations made against me by The News Magazine are not only false but they are wickedly ungodly. I have never and would never engage in any base behaviour that will rubbish my name, profession and rank. Emphatically, I did not make or receive any call or SMS text from any judge and did not compromise any judge as alleged by The News. The allegations upon a close scrutiny are not only asinine in context but absolutely infantile in execution.
An example of the lie and sadism of The News and their sponsors will suffice for now. The telephone number 08034105705 ascribed to one of the judges actually belong to my junior in chambers Ekerenam Ekpo Esq. Ekpo had been using this line for well over six years!. The poor fellow since The News unjustifiably ascribed his telephone number had been receiving sponsored telephone threats.
Readers will find it quite interesting by joining me to study the tables (call logs) which TheNews magazine claimed it sourced from MTN:
1. The table (log) on page 21 of the magazine has the headline —SOME OF JUSTICE NARON’S CALLS TO KALEJAYE—and gave my number 08034062075 as the recipient of the calls.
2. The table (log) on page 22 of the magazine has the headline-KALEJAYE’S SMS TO JUSTICE NARON-and gave the same number of mine as above-08034062075- as the recipient of text messages I purportedly sent to Justice Naron.
Is The News magazine saying that I sent the text messages to myself or that Justice Naron and I share the same telephone line?
3. Again, in the body of the story, especially on page 21 of the magazine, The News gave 08037035105 as the telephone number of Justice Naron to which it said I purportedly made calls and sent text messages. I have looked through all the tables (call logs) displayed in the 14 page report and surprisingly I did not see the number 08037035105 appearing even once as an entry receiving my calls and text messages! Readers and members of the public can also help me look at all the tables (call logs) and study them to ascertain my claims.
4. Readers will observe too that the number 08073160534, a GLO line (not MTN again) was conveniently introduced at a stage by The News magazine as Justice Naron’s new number. Could the magazine be claiming that the judge changed his line and then called a press conference to announce same?
5. I strongly invite readers’ close attention to all the tables (logs) presented as facts (data) by The News magazine upon which it built its house of lies to cast a slur on my integrity. Call logs are computer generated data on all voice and data calls from and into a given telephone line. Could the self contradictory tables displayed by The News magazine pass for call logs from a telecommunication company?
I wish to recall that this is not the first time that The News would make wild and unfounded allegations against me. On the last occasion they carried out their satanic act, they not only apologized but paid damages.
I have made enquires at MTN and I cannot put MTN’s reaction better than as stated in its letter dated the 8th July 2008 to me:
“We write in response to your letter dated 7th July, 2008 in respect of the above subject matter. Please be informed that MTN is not the source of the story reported in The News Magazine neither did it produce the phone logs/messages as alleged.
Please, be further informed that MTN treats with utmost confidence phone logs and details of its subscribers. This information is only released under very strict condition to either the subscriber or on its request, authorized security agencies or pursuant to a court order. We therefore categorically restate that MTN is not the source of the story and that the alleged phone logs/messages did not emanate from us.”
I cannot pretend not to know the temperament, desperation and satanic inclinations of my adversaries at the Election Tribunal, Osogbo.
I never knew that they would show satanic inclinations and propensity that bother on the criminal, to wit forgery of documents and writing of criminal fictions.
I have referred the aspect of the wicked libel to my legal advisers. I assure The News and its sponsors that this time around, apologies made after the act will not suffice.
And if in the process I am killed, as contained in many poison texts sent to me by reason of The News making unfounded, tendentious and silly allegations against me, my blood shall be on the hands and heads of the entire management and staff of The News and their sponsors.
Dated this 8th day of July, 2008.
Otunba Kunle Kalejaye, SAN
akinola waliu Ademola
8 July 2008 18:29I have so much in my mind to say about this issue,but i just cant write, my brothers and sisters im crying for this giant nation called nigeria.I’m seriously soaked in my tears.
engr akanbi oulsola
8 July 2008 19:59DARKNESS WILL ONLY REIGN IN THE ABSENCE OF LIGHT,THE LIGHT HAS COME ITS TIME FOR DARKNESS TO TAKE “ITS” LEAVE.
adedara
8 July 2008 20:07i dont know how my view can be published for the judges to read they will pay with their integrity honour and their name will be written in the black book they should take acue from ekiti state judiciary and see upright judges despite that PDP is ruling in ekiti they still go ahead to rule against the govt.
AKINTAYO BUKOLA YOMI
8 July 2008 21:32First and foremost thanks be to GOD Almighty for leaking their secret.But let The Governor, The Lawyer and The so call Tribunal Chief Judge know that according to Late Justice Fatai Williams said i quote “Power is like a bell which prevent those who set it ringing from hearing other”. He further it that “if those who abuse power could not be brought to book when they are alive then they will be punished in the hereafter”.
John Ola
8 July 2008 22:17I can guess that at the end of the day it will be a matter of Justice delayed is justice denied. Can you imagine a serious case tof petition from AC backed up by impeccable evidences that needs urgent response from NJC. Now NJC in its wisdom feels that the best thing is to siddon look till the tribunal spend the whole year to wind up and eventually the case will be taken to appeal by AC and appeal will order a retrial perhaps throgh a newly constituted tribunal and the case will start afressh and that will take another one year for the tribunal to sit. After that an appeal will go to the appeal court by the looser and then to the supreme court. We know at the end of the case, the powers that be will use his influnces whether legal or illegal to delay the curt proceedings and before we know what is going on Oyinlola has finished his second term and he has nothing at stake again. I think NJC should be smarter now by acting and reconstitute thepanel or it will be a case of justice delayed is justice denied. And that will be very unfortunate.
Kola Komolafe
9 July 2008 00:01What the so-call big men of Nigeria refuse to learn is that, “there is none like GOD”. The whole story will blow up soon. What you have just read is a tip of the ice berg. There are “two big Men” behind this Case. An ex- Military President, who is Oyinlola’s political godfather and a retired Chief Justice of the Federation - who is a friend of the General. The retired chief justice - gave Judge Naron and the team the matching orders to play ball. The Retired Chief Justice is currently vetting the Judgment to be delivered next Tuesday. But wait and see, GOD is on the throne in Nigeria.
kunle imam
9 July 2008 00:47As a rule Judges are not allowed to descend to the arena,anything to the contrary falls short of integrity,based on the evidence published and the event as it has unfolded at the tribunal so far,we now know that the REAL Respondent in the case of Osun State Election Tribunal is the bench itself as evidently and amiably represented by the dishonourable judges,the Governor as represented by Mr Kalejaiye was just to fulfill the requirement of the law as to legal representation…….lets give them fair hearing sha! Na wa o,we still have a long way to go in this country. God is too patient sha,may be its high time we started invoking the ‘God of Thunder’ and ‘Soponna’ on miserable corrupt leaders in this contry,lol.Couldn’t Mr Kalejaiye had employ the same methodology in the case of Senator Omisore?
Omo Ekiti
9 July 2008 01:44Well, I guess all we can do is wait and see what unfolds. The News Magazine is ver y credible
and has a history of being “right on” in this types of EXPOSE. Gen. Obasanjo actually warned us
but we did not pay good attention. He said for them in the PDP the election “WAS A DO OR DIE” affair.
Those who stole people’s mandate will do anything to keep it. as for the judges, I have a feeling that this
may very well be their respective KISS OF DEATH as far as the Legal profession is concerned.
Onasanya Adekoya Ganiu,USA
9 July 2008 02:55I salute The News for its investigative journalism and wish every member more grease to their elbows.Corruption has eaten deep into our society and to think that a judge could risk his/her career after serving for so long a time because of a pot of porridge is worrisome!
Eng.Aregbesola should not expect anything positive from this corrupted tribunal,but take solace in the fact that the appeal court is there and NJC is watching closely.The good people of Osun voted for you and it shall come to pass that you will surely reclaim your stolen mandate no matter what!!
sola
9 July 2008 07:30IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS IS HAPENING IN OSUN STATE, THIS HAS CONFIRM THE GENERAL BELEIVE THAT OLAGUNSOYE DID NOT WIN THE ELECTION, THE JUDGES SHOULD JUST PRONOUNCE AREGBESOLA AS THE WINNER OF THE ELECTION AND LET US MOVE FORWARD
oluwadare ojo
9 July 2008 07:45IF the allegations aboved are proved, that indeed there is a nexus between the the tribunal judges and the lawyer representing the political usurper in osun state, then Nigerians should reject in its entirety whatever teleguided , bias,fake, and adulttrated judgement that will come out from that tribunal.It is sad, ironic,that only crooks,half-baked elements,unsound characters that get to rule the very educated, the genuises that abound in nigeria.it is also regretablethat in this age of ict, certain individuals will still not know that their phones, text messages will not be monitored.what a pity.
Revd. "Tosin OGunbodede
9 July 2008 09:00Deuteronomy16:19 said “you shall not pervert justice.you shall not show partiality,and you shall not accept a bribe,for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of righteous” Oyinlola , i know,claimed to be a Christian,His lawyer and the Judge,i dont know the religion they profess.But been that as it is,i am so sure that there is no religion in Nigeria today, that favours perversion of justice.The mere allegation is a shame on the three men as they are not worthy to be honourable men.My fear is that these people have no honour left in them.if they do,they would bury their heads in shame since the publication and go out of public glare.Everything we become in this world,shall not takeus to heaven as we shall be judge according to what we have done in this sinful world.I am ashamed of the trio. Oyinlola couldn’t have claimed he was not aware of all the conversation between his lawyer and the Judge.His interviews has given him away.these are people that makes one to fell ashamed to be called christian.May God judge all those who fooled the whole Osun people and make them feel stupid to have perform their civic duties of voting in an election and the votes doesn’t count. They should be investigated without further delay as justice delayed is justice denied.
prince' Uchechukwu Koko
9 July 2008 09:58What a hell of abberation of justice! One thing with our judicial system is that even with overwhelming evidences and truths in several cases, one still finds it mind-boggling to see judicial pronouncements and verdicts being delayed and or worst still miscarried.
If the above assertion posited is far from the truth, how come that the National Judicial Commision is still waiting to adjudicate on this all-important national assignment?
Be that as it may, I strongly believe that after rain there must be sunshine, and when it shines, it shines with the truth.
The News Magazine, I must say, is a glowingly investigative media house. Your celebrated investigated cases have proved that you handle journalism with utmost good-faith.
Keep it up!
Wale Bolaji, United Kingdom
9 July 2008 10:36Whatever we do, we should remember that history can never be erased. Evil that men do, lives after them. All hail Kalejaiye, the “greatest” lawyer of our time. One wonders why the man hates Osun State sooo much. We all know his antescedent in Bola Ige case. As for Col. Olagunsoye Oyinlola, your time as the Acting Governor will soon be over!!!
GOD WILL JUDGE US ALL!!!
Oluseyi Said.
9 July 2008 10:46Nigerians ! Nigerians ! Nigerians ! let us all wait and watch what will happen on the day set for rulings, Then we can now disucuss, but according to Rtd justice Anthony Aniagolu words, this Judges should read this before giving out judgement.
Said Omotayo
9 July 2008 11:33The Kalejaye that is using this media to defend himself, is aware of the procedure of handling cases of libel. But he chose to join issue with the news here to solicit for public sympathy.
If the allegation against you are false, then go to court.
CORRUPT, THIEF.
NEMESIS WILL CATCH UP WITH U SOON
abdul-aziz
9 July 2008 11:41I for once do not believe in judicial systems of nigeria,is all about corruption they are all corrupt ,how they became judge is questionable so what do you expect,NO JUSTICE,i believe the story and i know thats whole truth,i willl be suprised if the same judges delievered any judgement from now on,SHAME ON THEM
goldmyne
9 July 2008 12:40Sad,truly sad and thats all i can utter right now..Isnt it a shame when holders of authority compromise on truth and justice..A sad travesty of justice …a sad reality of a govenor wantin to hold on tentatively to a stolen mandate..Our blood will cry…Our blood will demand justice..The several people that lost their lives durin this election bloods will cry out for justice..A very sad commentary..Im really flabbergasted,im in deep pain and anguish for this crumblin giant that selfish leaders will stop at nothing to destroy…oh what a shame….
Olumide Familusi
California,USA
muhammed omoko
9 July 2008 15:16Mr, Dr. Otumba Kalejaiye or whatever you call your name, your fruitless attempt to rubbish THE NEWS report does not hold water.
If you claim you did not engage in the comunications as stated by THE NEWS, the what is your response to some of the tribunal judgements if you were not a party to the case.
You, Oyinlola and Co. have putten Osun State in a similar situation as Zimbabwe.
GOD DEY
Abdullahi Lawore
9 July 2008 15:17Is MTN the source of information TheNews Magazine base its report ? I have read also Mr Kalejaiye’s response to the write up in which he reproduce MTN’s response to his enquiry.God help this Country Nigeria
AKENDE, BAYO
9 July 2008 17:10Dr or Mr Kalejaiye, go to court if you feel that TheNews are lying.That will save your name and reputation.Its a sad story.
OWOBULOW
9 July 2008 17:33I was happy the news have public out now. We AC in uk we now what is going on in Osun. Oyimlola gorvrment is so curppt. WE Osun AC Thank The news. Ac in london now what is going in tribunal. we now how Oyinlola paid chairman of tribunal 1B NARIA, To thrue one company, we no the cheek number, Acct number, we no the bank they paid to. so they are waiten for jorgment day, when Baba Adedibu die. when Adedibu die, we in London we now no that Oyinlola is finish.
when this man death some poeple went to see Oyinlola, After some time when poeple left, there 4poeple Remin with Oyinlola and person ask why are side you have finish, he side Baba have collet 400m Naria for forfront for Appesl court in Ibadan. I’m use this opptunite to tell Chairman of tribunal to declear Aregbesola winner of Osun state Gorvernor. If you want bloodshell in Osun state.
I want to tell the THE NEWS that all Confasation between kalejaye and Narron, I know definatly Racord it OR we can waite for court time. I ‘M TELL ALL OSUN PEOPLE I DECLEAR AREGBESOLA HAS OUR NEW GORVENOR OF OSUN STATE.
If narron do any silly mistake on 15 next Tuesday his going to jail. Thank very mush, From uk.
Ayodele Emmanuel
9 July 2008 17:37You don’t need the sight of a prophet to know that only the election of gov. was not rigged to certain extent. The whole world is waiting for the tribunal’s judgement. It is glaring that they have compromise,yet they can redeemed themselves by not giving “omo oba fun osun”. But one thing I know, as God liveth, all the enemies of this nation will not go unpurnished by the Almighty. God is on the trone.
Ayodele Emmanuel
9 July 2008 17:41You don’t need the sight of a prophet to know that only the election of gov. Fasola was not rigged to certain extent. The whole world is waiting for the tribunal’s judgement. It is glaring that they have compromise,yet they can redeemed themselves by not giving “omo oba fun osun”. But one thing I know, as God liveth, all the enemies of this nation will not go unpurnished by the Almighty. God is on the throne.
oye London
9 July 2008 18:01mr kalejaiye why did you not request MTN to publish your phone calls for the periods in question to nigerians to see, the letter written was just to tell you that they did give details of your calls to a third party we are not fools if you are maga. if you need my number i will give you and the full details of the military guys involve in the riging mr oniranu jaiye opuro.
joshua ademola
9 July 2008 18:04If this story is really true, then I dove my hat to all those investigative journalists involved; journalism in Nigeria is definitely taking a positive turn - the era of paid-up news and articles is on its way out of Nigeria. Thank you The News magazine.
As for the attempt by our SAN to rubbish the story, please remember that printing a letter from MTN is not enough to explain your role in this ignominious act, tell the world the whole truth now, because putting up a show in the face of overwhelming evidence that TheNews magazine claimed to possess will only further drag whatever remains of your personality into more muds.
The NJC, NBA and the Appeal court president should act sooner rather than later; the judgment reserved for next Tuesday by the tribunal may be postponed if only to proof that justice is being done as far as these allegations are concerned. There is no point allowing a compromised judgement just because there is a right of appeal - a new tribunal should be set up to review all evidences and judgements so far given in this case - and within a time-limit of not more than 60days give a judgement. There is no need for fresh hearing, just a review is all that is needed now, although I must admit that I am not a lawyer.
May God Almighty continue to be with the righteous (amen)!
Osmoses
9 July 2008 20:11The Judiciary should do the best with the case. If possible the people involved should be replaced with Agbakoba or what is his name. He will be fair enough I believe.
Emeka Aneke
9 July 2008 21:11After reading this investigative story that has been presented with so much evidential material; I am minded to say that something is horribly wrong with this verdict but without publishing the full content of those SMS and voice calls, conclusion at this stage would be premature and difficult. Without a doubt, Rauf Aregbesola’s legal team have, prima facie, a legitimate complaint but we mustn’t fail to note Kalejaye’s strong contradictions, as presented above. They cannot and should not be ignored. As it’s the usual practice in Law, he should be given the benefit of the doubt. I, not only, want to see Kalejaye’s denial of these allegations but his complete rebuttal (in other words, prove they are wrong)
The most disturbing aspect of this saga is that SMS were being exchanged whilst the Tribunal was in session. This is atrocious and cannot be explained away easily. If anyone is found to have fallen short of their professional standard in this situation, they should not only be relieved of their posts but also punished and disgraced as a warning to others
Akinlade Ismail
9 July 2008 21:25look thenews u are the only magazine dat have been behind justice and truth please kindly keep it up cos AREGBESOLA IS THE MAN.
babana
9 July 2008 22:03Dear All,
Mr Kalejaiye is trying to defend himself but the cat is already out of the bag . If a lie test is conducted on him am sure he will definitely fail. NUJ has more work to do to salvage the judicial system in nigeria. NUJ should think about this, How many nigerian judges can we count in ICC, ICJ, Serria Leone Court, ICTR compare to other african countries? we do not have at all in some of these courts because our judicial system are not recognised anymore because we have lost our credibility. After Prince Bola Ajibola, I do not think that Peace palace (ICJ) is ready or willing to admit any nigerian judge in its chamber.
Ephraim Osazuwa
9 July 2008 22:19It is unfortunate that 8 years into the 21st century, some Nigerian judges still behave worst than the cave man. Until judges are subjected to harsh punishment when they disgrace their office, this nonsense will not stop. A proper punishment will be to line them up before a firing squad and let them have their reward of iniquity, just like any other armed robber (because they are armed with authority, which in this case is a lethal weapon ). It is time for Nigeria to truly operate zero tolerance policy for corruption at least in the judicial branch.
I congratulate the News Magazine for their investigative reporting.
Thanks
Ephraim Osazuwa
Wale Bolaji, United Kingdom
9 July 2008 23:19Let Kalejaiye slam a libel or defamation of character case against TheNews if he wants to clear his name after he is a SAN. He will only put himself into more trouble. We thank God for TheNews. Other tribunals in other states should learn. All those acting against the wishes of the people should know that lies may endure for a thousand years but surely, the truth will always prevail!!!
Ifedayo Odeniyi
9 July 2008 23:39We should read the TheNews Magazine story with an open and dicernible mind devoid of emotion. To me the story is skewwed. On whose side is the magazine. Who are they trying to hang? the judiciary? the executive represented by the governor. They did nothing to balance their story. Some of us read international magazines and the way stories like this are carried stand out.
The comments from readers, except for few, appears sponsored. I thus have my reservations. I noticed a major flaw in one of the telephone numbers; the number 08073160534 is a GLOMOBILE NUMBER AND NOT MTN!! The body of the story states that Naron sent 28 text messages to kalejaiye from this number and was charged N7 per SMS by MTN. How can MTN charge for Glomobile? There are other flaws that puts the credibility of the story in doubt.
We pray MTN to speak officially on the issue so that the truth may be known. Let Kalejaiye publish the full official letter from MTN and not an absract from the letter. Glomobile officials, can you help give more light on this issue especially the 0807……. number.
Until all facts are laid bare, and the true situation of thing is known, we should all fear God in the comment we post on this issue. We can’t and should not pass judgement on any of the parties yet.
TheNews magazine….hmmm. I just hope your reporter is not compromised. Mr Onanuga over to you. I stopped reading your magazine,until recently, after the last episode with this same Kalejaiye. It also began like this….denial……then court…….then settlement out of court with N500,000 payment………then retraction of the story. I just hope you are right this time around!
Adeniyi
10 July 2008 01:07It is scandalous, saddening and damning that men who are supposed to be revered, and highly respected could descend so low and sell their conscience (if they have any) for monetary gains or why else would they do that?. It is unimaginable that these group of unworthy men and woman can shamelessly be working together to subvert justice and throw the wishes of the people inside the dustbin of history, they are incurring God’s wrath and they could still made ammend by honourably resigning their positions before further revelation of evidence to dampen their already battered image. Kudos to THE NEWS team for a great job, it is evident that the good work you and other reputable media are doing is manifesting in recent happenings and changes being experinced in the judiciary.
Horla Adiza
10 July 2008 05:48Gradually, the truth of the proceedings at Naron Led tribunal is blowing up, I wish TheNEWS Mag pursue this to a reasonable conclusion. Everybody in the state knows what happen before, during and after the election in the state. we all knows who the winner is.
Maybe this new development will force Justice Naron to deliver the truth, though he has never for once prove himself as a Judge with utmost integrity and fear of God.
As for Kalejaiye and Oyinlola, let them knows that God is above all their crook plans of holding on to what never belongs to them. I belive the Lord will deliver my good state from their grip one day.
Horla Adiza
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
billy ejaosan
10 July 2008 08:16Its not about who is right, but of what is right.
Kale, may all good thing in life follows u and your families, if u are saying the truth, but if not may u have all the odds, sadness, problems, ailment uncured, and the worst dream in life, Amen loruko jesu, allah and metalokan.
Uncle Bayo, please remember you are in Nigeria, not in the states or Europe, DONT ALWAYS SAY ALL WHAT U KNOW; BUT ALWAYS KNOW ALL WHAT U SAY. Remember, aye o folododo. Please we still need u. Politician and their caucus are killers, life has no duplicate. AYE KO NI FI ORI YIN FO AGBON O.
Uncle jibade, pls easy does it in life, may god protect u and your family and the rest of The news .
MO FO LORUN SO GBOGBO YIN O.
regards
billy
Bosman
10 July 2008 10:07Thanks to the news for this great story.One wonders why the tribunal ruling was in town before it was actually read in court.Anyway,I challenge OTUNBA KALEJAIYE,SAN to go to court if he feels THE NEWS Iis lying.AREGBESOLA-JUSTICE WILL SURELY PREVAIL. IT IS WELL WITH NIGERIA.
Moyen Muiwa
10 July 2008 11:26I second you oo Billy..
The News Mag news crew all of you surname has become MOFOLUWASO.
IT IS WELL !
K. Ikedilo
10 July 2008 12:36The dramatis personae and their mobile phone numbers in this laughable scandal are given as:
KALEJAIYE SAN - 08034062075
JUSTICE NARON - 08037035105,08073160534
JUSTICE EKANEM - 08034105705
MISS SADE - 08066572719
GOV OYINLOLA - 08034040588
I have read the publication of the news magazine and every allegation is clearly and properly outlined. At no point was there a conflict of mobile phone numbers as alleged by the senior advocate.
Even in the face of this damning revelations, Kalejaiye is vigorously trying to hoodwink readers to believing that the story was a fabrication by a magazine that has thoroughly done its homework. You will fail this time.
For your information Otunba Kalejaiye, Justice Naron is not required to call a press conference to tell the world that he has acquired another SIM(glo) to carry out his nefarious activities which obviously involves you…The NEWS magazine was only able to expose the ignoble act of this member of the bench through detailed investigations that spanned a period of 5 months.
The NJC,NBA,NPF and all relevant authorities should please swing into action and apply necessary sanctions/punishment,where anyone is found wanting,to act as a deterrent to others.
God is watching…
Dapo, Lagos
10 July 2008 12:53May I add my commendations to that of others in eulogising The News group for elevating journalism to mere reportorial news. This is quite an effort. Anyway, one is not too surprised since you’ve always laid the ground rules for investigative journalism. Please beam your searchlight on Ogun State. The chickens are coming home to roost.
Shame on those who subvert the will of the people. Shame on them who pervert the course of justice. May they never know peace!
john aboma
10 July 2008 14:41am absolutely disappointed with the way thing are been illustrated allegation are flying. it mighty be true to one of the perspective do to the judge that his younger one have been using that phone for over 6years and was threatening of much can, in a nutshall why not change the sim of the line used in such to prevented or avoid the bad texts. to me am in tenet that they made the conversion. if the judiciary know too well that the were next to God on earth they should solemnly handled this issue accordly that will sustain the name of they judiciary and at large the citizenery of nigeria. thks Tell;08030609916
Segun
10 July 2008 14:42I have a question for The News. Is it true that you ever apologized and paid for damages to Kunle Kalejaye in the time past? If Yes, tell us why? Otherwise the public will begin to doubt your integrity.
Thanks
OMoba Kareem
10 July 2008 15:10I am terribly disturbed each time I listen or read about our so called leaders doing what is not conventional and trying to sweep it under the carpet. Justice Aniagolu, Kayode Esho or Chukwudifu Oputa etc etc are jurists who understand that they are representing God on earth. The god of some of these judges and politicians is money. I am suprised at the way Kunle Kalejaiye is handling the issue. If he believes in the truth which is constant he should give MTN or any other network provider to which he subscribe the authority to publish his calls and sms for the period in dispute. He should know that as a SAN alot is at stake if he does not clear his name expeditiously. As for the ploliticians who among them won their election? Let them continue to play God. HE will strike when they least expected. Naron and his co travellers should know that the evil done by man to another man will be addressed by GOD if not now BUT pretty soon.
OWOBULOW
10 July 2008 16:4600000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Abbey Alabi
10 July 2008 17:55My position in this issue is quite simple. It is only in Nigeria that public/private officials throw respect and fear of God to the dustbin and can never leave a position. Resignation from a post is something that our people have not learnt to incorporate into their attitude. About 70 Nigerians were reported to have died along the coast of Spain just this week, why? Because the situation back home is unbearable. The architects of this ugly situation are the public officials who don’t uphold truth and aid corruption in every facet of our great country. God will definitely expose all the underhands at the right time! Let them continue. The heads of the masses will continue to fight for them. May God bless Nigeria. We in diaspora too will continue to bear the shame and shabby treatment we are getting from our hosts because of these negative news from home.
BABAFEMI OJUDU
10 July 2008 18:57Dear Segun,
As regards our apology to Kalejaiye in the past we have addressed that in our response to him which is available on this site and titled KALEJAIYE, OYINLOLA’S COUNSEL LIED. Please check it out. Thanks and God bless.
Akosile Oluwafemi
10 July 2008 19:04This is the type of investigative journalism we require in our society to curb corruption at the three arms of the government - Legislative, Judiicary and Executive.
The News is in the forefront of this brand of journalism. Please, keep it up! From all intents and purposes, Mr Kalejaiye’s response sound like a drowning man clutching to a straw!
Tunde Olaosebikan
10 July 2008 19:04I have read through the response of the all- knowing government lawyer, as well as the reply the MTN gave to his letter written to them,
nothing in the reply suggested that the alledgation was wrong. MTN was silent on whether the allegation was gennuine or not, the only
thing they stressed was that the information was not sourced from them. The allegation has been levelled against them, and the burdens
of proof as lawyer would say now lies on the all-knowing lawyer and his brothers - in - crime.
Bringing the issue of the death of Chief Bola Yoruba Ige at this time will not serve any good purpose but instead confirm your style as a
bribe to win case lawyer, because even a toddler at that time knew the direct beneficiary of the death of the man who happened to be the
mouth - piece of the Yoruba nation. As for the News please keep up in exposing this devilish men pretending as saints, and I pray that as
you do that God Almighty shall continue to be your strength in Jesus name.
olusayo-olaoye
10 July 2008 19:56Uhn! Uhn! Uhn! Honestly, I am confused. When the people to provide hope are dashing hope. When living above board has become an exception rather the rule. When people can always swallow their words without thinking (remember the Senator Assistant Inspector General) One thinkg is certain, everyone will account for their deed on earth on the judgment day. Please on this case before the subject matter is destroyed by expiration of time. it is already over a year that we have been dancing round the issue and we now know why.
My one and only question to Otunba Kalejaiye is that “did you at any time, since the inception of this case make any call to any of the judges? That out of court settlement was made by TheNews is not so important since we can remember the Senator AIG.
Kudos to The News
Godwin Longji
10 July 2008 19:58MTN may have written the lawyer that they are not the source of the material published by THE NEWS. They have not said that the information could not have come from their database through an unthorised source. The only way for the truth to be ascertained is for someone to go to court and compel MTN to produce their own log of the messages nad calls that have emanated from all the listed telephone numbers. I would advice the tribunal members and counsel to Governor Oyinlola to sue the news for libel if they expect us to believe that the story is false. Kalejaiye claims that the magazine have had course to apologize and pay damages to him in the past. I doubt that they are so stupid they will risk another payment of damages that can be on a scale that will bring the paper down.
Igwebuike Asogwa
10 July 2008 20:08Thank God I am not a Nigerian, but a Biafran. This is what we saw in the 60s when we declared our nation. God bless Biafra, and all those fighting for here freedom.
ologundudu
10 July 2008 21:15is it true dat d news apologised & paid compensation 2 kalejaiye @ any time? Pls tell d world.
MOJA LAIDE
11 July 2008 04:37I consider Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN) threat to the NEWS magazine as an empty barrel that only makes noise. Anyway, this is not the first time of Kunle Kalejaiye claiming innocence of a classical offence commited. I was not surprised that he took such a case from Oyinlola, they are members of the same constituency! Though he lacks CONSCIENCE, I want him to prove it beyond reasonable doubt that he had not made such calls or messages to the said corrupt judge, THOMAS NARON. Who did he think he was fooling? His kinsmen OR the public? There is no way for you here and hereafter. Mind you, not only you, your DESCENDANTS also shall reap the fruit of your labour in perverting the course of natural justice. Oyinlola lost the election last year and he knew. You felt bold enough to defend LIE. You dont confue us further that there was a mix-up somewhere. sincerely speaking, the numbers published are outrightly yours and NARON’s and such illegal communications were made at the stated time. why disturbing yourself? Mind you, whatever you might have collected from OYINLOLA or he might promise you will vanish because it is a decision taken against humanity. You and Naron are trying to upturn the will of the masses at the tribunal. Just go ahead. InshaALLAH, AREGBESOLA and others in his shoe would retreive their stolen mandate. The NEWS should continue with his holy job. Any evil plan mapped by Oyinlola, Kunle Kalejaiye, Naron and their acolytes shall not prosper Godwilling. In fact you got it right. IT IS A MEGA SCANDAL!!!!
seyi
11 July 2008 06:06osun gov seat for now is between the best military tacticsian and a political manipulator,so let wait for the best player.
kofoworola idowu
11 July 2008 09:02two things needed to be sorted out,wont MTN erase the call log through presure from the power that be. secondly the log was gotten under cover will the MTN staff not loose his or her job? caution to every one , untill The News bring out further evidences to substanciate this, there should be no coment. But to say we are all sponsored to coment online is despicable.
onikanni olayinka
11 July 2008 10:04I feel like crying for this country call Nigeria,my state osun, and the NJC.WHY! God is on the throne watching.OYIN is a yoruba na for the insect BEES and we all know what the Bees can do.Otunba Kalejaye(SAN) CAN YOU TRY TO EMULATE SAN Like Babatunde Raji Fashola BRF of lagos and some other notable SAN we have in this country,Please tell us when and how much the NEWS magazine paid you for damages so we can be updated.Also,my questions for The editoral board of THE NEWS MAGAZINE is true that you have one time paid Otunba Kalejaye some damages please i will want a personal detaial as in reply to this so that we can clearify issue.Lastly to Engr AREGBESOLA RAUF,PLEASE YOU AND YOUR LEGAL TEAM SHOULD START PREPARATION IN ENSERT FOR APPEAL.
femi mojolaoluwa.
11 July 2008 11:09The whole world is waiting, anciously waiting to see the final conclussion on this scandal at a time when we have a national government
that respect the rule of law. may God help us all.
Adeyinka
11 July 2008 11:49U are right Kofo,MTN would be compelled by the PDP to erace or loose her lincense ranging from Yaradua thru the senate,the reps. and so on.If Yar’adua can campaigned for the thief (Kogi guv)to win again,nothing will stop them to deal with MTN(Foreign Operarator) on this issue.
Segun
11 July 2008 13:10Thanks Mr Femi Ojudu for your response.
I have gone through your piece “KALEJAIYE, OYINLOLA’S COUNSEL LIED”.
Now you have put your business on the line. Make sure you follow up this issue to a logical end. Fear no foe.
Nigerians are behind you.
And you Kalejaye, the best thing you can do now is to be silent and wait till the court summon you.
Otherwise, you will provoke more revelations from The News that will compel the masses to be looking
for your head and that of your Governor.
And to fellow Nigerians, allow nobody to sweep this matter under the carpet
though an average Nigerian has a very short memory when it comes to public issue.
Thank you all.
THINK
11 July 2008 14:41MTN CANNOT erase it -too late
Tunde UK
11 July 2008 15:34The investigating magazine ( The News ) ride on, the nigerian are with you. I remember the days of IBB, you and Tempo comfronted him with your good work and you trimph. If Kalejaiye does not certisfy with your wright ups/findings, let him go to the court.
SAM ALBERT
11 July 2008 16:02Dear Beloved magazine,
I remember that your publication captioned THE FACE OF A LIAR-SALISU BUHARI
Every effort was made by the then Speaker to rubbish the publication including threat t
sue publisher and editor of the magazine if the story is not retracted. you stood your and
was eventually vindicated.
It is on the strenght of that and many other novel revelation which some government agencies
including EFCC has commended you for in securing conviction that you are believed.
fortunately the SAN in his own story has not threaten to go to court to liquidate you using his
backround as a lawyer with free service, Hm! but holding you responsible for the judges
thats to come for his unwholesome deed”MONEY, HOW MUCH CAN GUARANTEE A
LIVING FOREVER? WHAT ELSE THEY THEY WANT? WHAT FOR? MANY QUESTION
I can only salute your committment to the New Nigeria of our Dream and assure you that
THENEWS will have many places to occupy and surely with your effort in investigating Journalism
the journey will only be quicker.
WELDONE!!
** Please sell your magazine at the rate of 100 naira you will be amazed you are rewarded that the
current price and caused these unholy nation destroyer to tremble.
Tunde
11 July 2008 17:25For the first time in a long time i’m happy about the way journalism is been carried out in Nigeria. Everyone should give Kudos to the News for exposing this shameful act, to all my brothers and sisters who are pessimistic about Nigeria, i say to them that we shall get to the promised land and there is light at the end of the tunnel. As for Otunba Kalejaye. i strongly urge to go to court if he knows these allegations are false. GOD BLESS NIGERIA.
Tunde, UK
Ayo
11 July 2008 17:43Those involved should have the fair of God in their life, and hold the belief that God is watching. Goodness is the only investiment that never fail.
Ayo Ayorinde
Holland
Rotimi Wusu
11 July 2008 17:56SHAME ON KALEJAYE U ARE A DISGRACE TO THE LAW. U ARE INDEED AN ENEMY OF THE NIGERIAN PEOPLE.IT IS UNFAIR. FOR AN HONORABLE PERON U WILL RESIGN THE CASE AND ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE PROVE UR INNOCES. THE NEWS THANK YOU FOR THE EXPOSUR AND PUTTING MORE HEAT ON THE JUDGES
dele adebayo
11 July 2008 18:26there are 3 types of judgements, by judges, by people and by God. The ultimate judge of this case is God. But let it be made clear
‘ that he who makes gains in an unjust manner is like a patrige that hatches eggs it did not lay’. The end will be disasterous for all of them.
This country shall outlive all of them and their secrets will never be covered. For judges to decend bracingly into the arena is perfidy and most bizzar and shameful.
They should have the courage to call it quite and the NJC should have the courage to butt them out . We are waiting for their exit. He who makes
Peaceful change impossible makes violent revolution inevitable.
LEKAN DAUDA
11 July 2008 19:28Waoooooooooooooooo, i give THENEWS kudos for this. You are too much. If most of most of the media houses are this diligent in thier investigation coruption in Nigeria would have been brought to minimal level. THENEW please keep it up
Rev. Fr. Mike Femi Ajjiboye
11 July 2008 19:34Can someone just tell me the truth these whole story. With Kalejaiye’s statement and the story of the News I am confuse the more. May God, through His ministers teach to value the truth and be able to defend it for the good of our nation. Amen. Up Nigeria–Forward ever, backward never.
Rev. Fr. Mike Femi Ajjiboye
11 July 2008 19:35Can someone just tell me the truth in these whole story. With Kalejaiye’s statement and the story of the News I am confuse the more. May God, through His ministers teach us to value the truth and be able to defend it for the good of our nation. Amen. Up Nigeria–Forward ever, backward never.
zum lagos
11 July 2008 21:00Impunity, impunity, impunity.That is the Nigerian big man for you. The so called SAN being so well connected and having mastered his kind of administering justice, knows that no matter what people will say, the heavens would not fall. The NEWS should not relent nor give up in fighting this monster in Niger.
Prince Nduaguibe
11 July 2008 21:08It is shameful that it is happening. Sadly, l do not have hope in the Nigerian State and her system.
Nigeria is a failed state, the judiciary is supposed to be above board and when you lose that sector to manipulations, just like l just read it, it is just a shame.
Some of us resident abroad, have seen the difference and from all ramifications, we are far away from civilization.
If these judges have any sense of judgement, at least, they should have resigned and the NJC and NBA should have been investigation, whereever, THE NEWS, get their information, they can as well go and verify same, that is why, the senate has refused pas the FOI bill, they know that most of them will be exposed and ridiculed.
Corruption in Nigeria is bigger than life, for peopl like Obasanjo, Ibori, Orji Kalu, Peter Odili, Bode Gorge and the likes to be waking the streets of Nigeria and parading themselves as human with stolen wealth baffles me to death.
Nevertheless, l want to THE NEWS CORPORATION, for taking the risk to expose this, l wish we can do more investiagtive journalism in Nigeria, once again, kUDOS.
THANKS.
Iheanacho George George
11 July 2008 22:18I must use this medium to congratulate The News Magazine for taking time to professionally investigate the issue,that is what investigate journalism is all about.Some judges in this country are full of complicity and are very corrupt.The article on the scandal of judges questioned the integrity of most of the judges in the electoral tribual.Please continue your good work,you have written your name in gold and remained first among equal in investigative journalism in country.In fact,the judges should disqualify themselves from giving the judgement.Thanks The NEWS Magazine for this eye-opener.The good people of this great country are behind your current crusade of a better society.
Kunle Rotimi
11 July 2008 22:28I am particularly interested in the issues of scandalous dimension as published by The News! I give kudos to the crack journalists who unearthed the details of calls/messages. Much as I see these efforts as commendable, I want Nigerians to keep fingers crossed. As a jtrained ournalist myself, I know that, no media house will publish stuffs of such magnitude and scale without proofs, cast-iron ones for that matter. The onus of proof lies with the source that asserts. Since Otunba Kalejaiye is a lawyer, a SAN, he should approach the court to prove his innocence, not the newspapers! The courts will be in position to sift the seed from the chaff. But I must warn respectively that going to court to discountenance issues of this kind require caution. The fat is indeed in fire now. The number of those who will be drenched by torrential rain cannot be determined, until the rain stops. God knows how many of such cases at various tribunals are under serious investigation. Once again I commend the efforts of those journalistic detectives who treat the world to these niceties of scandals. It is a pity, if it turns out to be true. I am still wondering.
Kunle Rotimi
11 July 2008 22:37I am particularly interested in the issues of scandalous dimension as published by The News! I give kudos to the crack journalists who unearthed the details of calls/messages. Much as I see these efforts as commendable, I want Nigerians to keep their fingers crossed. As a trained journalist myself, I know that, no media house will publish stuffs of such magnitude and scale without proofs, cast-iron ones for that matter. The onus of proof lies with the source that asserts. Since Otunba Kalejaiye is a lawyer, a SAN, he should approach the court to prove his innocence, not the newspapers! The courts will be in position to sift the seed from the chaff. But I must warn respectfully that going to court to discountenance issues of this kind requires caution. The fat is indeed in fire now. The number of those who will be drenched by torrential rain cannot be determined, until the rain stops. God knows how many of such cases at various tribunals are under serious investigation. Once again I commend the efforts of those journalistic detectives who treat the world to these niceties of scandals. It is a pity, if it turns out to be true. I am still wondering! USE THIS CORRECTED VERSION. I SPOTTED TYPOGRAPHIC ERROR IN THE FIRST ONE I SENT. THANK YOU.
Comment
baba tee
11 July 2008 22:59nija is a land where anything is possible.we need no claivoyance to know that there is a problem with the judges of the first tribunal in osun state. is either they have been settled by the state governor or they have been bewitched. most of there judgements have been quite questionable. if it is true that they have fallen to the greater influence of EGUNJE which is even more powerful than any juju in this context, then where lies the hope of the masses of this country. nigeria is a funny place to live in .only the judges of the supreme court have really shown a very high level of sense of responsibilty. the lower courts are populated by some unprincipled, and shameless judges who deliver highly controvertial judgements. lets see how the osun saga would end.
Tolu Abidakun
12 July 2008 14:43Mr Kalejaiye,
I read your rejoinder to the News magazine’s story. Well, Ias an insider in MTN, I went through the logs of the numbers mentioned in the story and found the owners of these numbers culpable.
Can you please say, before man and God, if you are not the owner of the number, and if you never received calls and sms from Justice Naron?
r oladipo
12 July 2008 16:31well done the news. KALEJAIYE (SAN) SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HIMSELF AND THE ENTIRE JUDICIAL TRIBUNAIL HANDLING THE ELECTION PETITION IN OSUN STATE. YOU CANNOT JUDGE AND DEFEND YOURSEL. LEAVE THE JUDGEMENT TO COMMON PEOPLE OF OYO STATE WHOSE VOTE YOU WANT TO MANIPULATE. THESE ATE INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO WANT A CHANGE OF GOVERMENT. IF OYINLOLA HAS GOVERNED OYO STATE WELL DURING HIS FIRST TERM WHY SHOULD HE BE DESPERATE TO STAY IN POWER FOR THE SECOND TERM?. THE PEOPLE’S VOTE WILL DECIDE. ALL OT THEM WHO ARE INVOVE IN THIS SCANDAL STARTING FROM OYINLOLA TO THETRIBUNAL MEMBERS INCLUDING THE CHAIRMAN SHOUL ROT IN HELL FIRE. I THINK ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Arinze Uchechukwu Christian
12 July 2008 19:13Before the 2007 general elections,I used to regard lawyers,judges and judiciary as a special breed.
The reason for the respect isn’t mispaled.First,their profession being among the three professions
including medicine and divinity, demands a high sense of integrity and responsibility from it’s practitioners
as well as other virtues like even-handed in the dispensation of justice(Impartial),courage,fear of God and
high sense of judgement.
The elections in 2007,has open a pandoras box that has exposed the weaknesses of the judiciary viz-a-viz
partiality and the venal elements that has come to preside over that important arm of government,today it is no longer the
last hope of the common man,as judges can descend so low as to compromising the confidence repose in the by accepting
bribe either willfully or not.The rot in the larger Nigerian society has permeated the judiciary and this portends a great danger
to our society as the dictum of might is right will gain higher currency reversing the gains made over the years towards
creating a civilised society and enthroning democracy,hence creating a Hobbesian state of nature where life is so nasty,
brutish,solitary and short-lived.May God save us in this country.The National Judicial Council(NJC) should take note.
Sina Bode-Adeoye
12 July 2008 22:42EVIL, THEY SAY, WILL NOT CEASE TO REAR ITS UGLY HEAD. BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN, TRUTH CANNOT BE HIDDEN. WE WILL ALL SURELY BE WITNESSES TO THE JUDGEMENT OF GOD THAT WOULD EVENTUALLY COME UPON THEM VERY SOON. THE 1983 POLITICAL EPISODE IN THE THEN ONDO STATE IS STILL VERY FRESH IN OUR MINDS. IF I AM RIGHT, ALMOST ALL THE ACTORS THAT PLAYED FOUL THEN ARE NO MORE. LETS WATCH AND SEE.
HASSAN ANOFIT
13 July 2008 07:36I really appreciate what THE NEWS is doing to our society.If not for your boldly step in ensuring things are not swept under the carpet,this so called great country could have been sold in the name of privatisation.As regard to the scandalous act of so called SANS,especially the most corrupted jurist in Nigeria in the name of Kalejaiye,they should face the wrath of law.Such fellows should not be allowed to practise in Nigeria again
Ayodeji Arojo USA
13 July 2008 08:00All those found guilty after thorough investigation should be dealt with according to the law of the land. It is a shame and very regretful that this same Judges and lawyers if the issues raised was true then a thorough review of their previous judgement on innocent people should be reviewed. This is a shame to the entire judiciary , they are the ones condemning people to prisons or death. Judicial sytem in Nigeria needs an overhauling and review
Ogochukwu
13 July 2008 10:15The News Magazine Crew,
Your article was a good read, well done guys. But can you please react to the inconsistences in cell numbers as referenced in Kunle Kalejaye’s refuttal? Thank you
Emmanuel Franklyne Ogbunwezeh
13 July 2008 10:35Nigeria was never designed to function. The country was designed for exploitation. It must be exploited and mangled either by some midget foreign conquistadores, or internally by an incestuous aristocracy of greed, comprising elitist debauchery and civic timidity of the majority. The metaphysic of our social interaction was grounded in corruption. That the judges compromised themselves in this particular case is now news. Corruption is tradition in our institutions at all levels. What do you expect of the poor lawyers and judges in a clime where impunity is abundantly rewarded, and excellence sent to the arctic of poverty and irrelevance? Nigeria as it is presently configured can never see uhuru until Nigerians are ready to take back their destiny and nation from the elitist thieves, who have constituted themselves into an alliance of despoliation, ready to destroy the nation in congenital subservience to the golden calves of their avarice.
The People of Osun state will keep on waiting for God till kingdom come. God will never help those who will never act, wrote Sophocles of old. Nigerians need to go medieval on the embezzlers of their posterity. Almost every great country today has had a cause to cleanse itself with the blood of its villains. Stones are everywhere on the streets of Osun state. I wonder what the citizens are waiting for before the rise and end this monumental injustice. After all, disobedience to tyrants according to Thomas Jefferson is obedience to God!
FRANC FAGAH UTOO(MALAYSIA)
13 July 2008 11:21undesirable elements like kalejaiye,noran,sade,oyinlola,pdp,inec,police comm.of osun state and their likes in nigeria are responsible for the rot we have in the country.until God obliterate them and their likes from our faces we shall continue our current nose dive to the abyss of hell as a nation.WE SHOULD SUPPORT THE LIKES OF UNCLE BAYO,THE NEWS,AND ALL LIKE MINDED PATRIOTS FOR A GREATER NIGERIA. GOD BLESS NIGERIA,& DAMN IT FOR THE BAD EGGS LIKE kalejaiye,oyinlola and noran
adeniyi
13 July 2008 12:53Honestly,i am not dissapointed in Kalejaye.I know him one on one.Right from the day Oyinlola paid him to prosecute The former SSG under Akande
The only regret i had is that somebody of his caliber/character could be made a SAN.
i am sorry for Nigeria, Osun state in particular
D NEWS thanks in a million ways.
Nigerians are behind U
nelson ogunleye,USA
13 July 2008 13:58This is investigative journalism at its best, but i will like the folks in The news respond to the discripances in the phone numbers identified by Mr kalejaiye in his response to this damming revelations.If there is a credible a explanation to his obsevations from The News,then kudos to you for living upto your constitutional responsibility as the ubiqitous eyes of the nation and the NJC should take appropriate actions against these shameless judges if they are found guilty.The public should also disregard whathever judgement they give next week and demand the reconstitution of a new panel of credible judges to give accelerated hearing to the petition.The people of Osunn state and indeed Nigeria deserve a credible and impartial Judiciary.The World is watching
Balogun
13 July 2008 14:39Thank you Oye of London as you have said it all…OTUNBA KALEJAIYE, YOU ARE A COURAGEOUS MAN, UHM? ASK MTN TO PUBLISH YOUR CALL DETAILS COVERING THE PERIOD. QED.
This will put a lie into The News investigating journalism. To the guys in The News, i say kudos to your bravery and professionalism which is a world apart from arm-chair journalism.
Abdul-Aziz Jimoh
13 July 2008 16:55Dear Mr Kalejaiye,
With respect, I must express my utter shock that you responded to The News’ publication on the pages of newspapers.
Found in the same situation, and believing in my innocence, I would issue proceedings immediately and let my actions speak volumes.
I would have thought that as a lawyer, such a wise step would have been taken without engaging in ripostes that may later come to haunt one.
I have read the article and your position on it and await your lawyers issuing proceedings against The News, to prove your alleged innocence.
However, I can only hope that the parties concerned, including MTN realises we are in different times and it is easy to harvest information and data so amazingly easy.
Whilst it is illegal, hacking is also a reality and I hope any of the central figures thinking they can hoodwink the public better think twice. In my opinion, should this matter
go to court, it would be most revealing and damaging. However, I am sure the party in question (be it the News, Mr Kalejaiye or the judge in question) and reading this
poser knows what I am saying in the most reserved of tone. Those concerned better do the most decent and honourable thing before it is too late.
niyi odeyemi
13 July 2008 17:06having read the magazine and the responses of the actors involved in the scandal l think the most honourable thing for the judges to do is to step down the judgment pending the determination of the allegation.
abiodun KOMOLAFE, Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State
13 July 2008 19:55In times like this, I can only pity my country and, of course, my dear State that has sadly become a tragicomical enclave and a featsing ground for all kinds of socio-political rogues who masquerade as leaders; those who delight in dining, wining and whining with the sheep and the wolves and indulge in finding what they do not - and need not - seek in Hotels and Resorts Centres. Sad: with a history of evidential backwardness carapaced by contextual ignorance, guerilla governance, brazen profligacy, hereditary fantasies and other illusions of leadership paralysis emblematic of what the now-aggrieved Theophillus Danjuma would rightly refer to as the ‘de-development’ of the state, no one, not even the voice of those who ‘put’ them in power, counts any longer. Sadder still: our traditional rulers - those we have hitherto held in high esteem and regarded as the custodian of our values and heritage - have willingly become ‘upgraded’ to the status of foot soldiers and errand boys and have as such decidedly mortgaged their honour on the altar of pelf.
Whichever way - and, far from being a pessimist, since, in our own enclave, events, even when they happen in quick succession, are only meant to amuse (the) beholders, the more Nigerians (may) wish to look, the more they (may)certainly end up seeing. ‘Pessimists’ like me can therefore only be proved wrong if those who are anyway connected with this uncivilized and babaric acts are brought to book.
May God bless ‘The News’ Magazine.
Omo Eko
13 July 2008 21:29Haba KK,
I’m not surprised, KK has always benefited from illegality. He got to the top as SAN due to the fact that he is ready to do the dirtiest job around. He should check the record, the likes of Afe Babalola did not get wealthy in dubious circumstances. What do you expect of a lawyer who smokes indian hemp and goes on drugs. OUR SOCIETY IS SICK!
Ige M. A. A. London
14 July 2008 00:07Dear The NEWS,
Thanks for News as Yoruba says: Ti Eti Ko Ba Gbo Yinkin Inu Kii Baje, Ti Eniyan Ko Barin rin nipase Ole won kii paro re mo eniyan Ooooo
Let them continued to lie and thinking they are deceiving people, Almighty GOD is watching them “Bi iro ba lo logun Odun Ojo kan ni Otito yoi leba”
Editor E so ra o. Aregbesola allow God to fight your battle, always remember that before this samble election they attempt on your life. they may say you Loose
this eletion, but one thing I know you’ ll win the heavenly Kingdom if you allow JESUS in your life and committ this battle onto HIM alone
When OBJ said DO or DIE what do you expect all over Nigeria. THIS IS PART OF IT. shame to OBJ and his remaining boys in power
NELSON MANDELLA is a role model still living, the like of Mugabe is OBJ & Co.
GOD that deal with Abacha, Adedibu is still on his throne will deal with them as at when due AMEN!
Atoyebi Taslim
14 July 2008 09:11You redeemed the hope of progressive Osun State indigenes home and abroad. Keep it up.
SODEINDE MUFTAU
14 July 2008 09:37INDEED, IT IS NOT NECCESSARY TO TELL A BLIND MAN THAT THE MARKET HAS BEEN DESERTED BEFORE HE KNOWS.
THE REVELATION OF OSUN STATE ELECTION TRIBUNAL HAS GIVEN A CLEAR INSIGHT OF WHAT THE JUDGEMENT WILL BE.
THEREFORE THERE IS NO NEED TO WAIT FOR THE PRONOUNCEMENT,
BECAUSE NOTHING GOOD CAN COME OUT OF A FOOL. THE JUDGES ARE SET OF FOOLS.
OMO YORUBA
14 July 2008 12:11IT’S VERY DISHEARTHENING OSUN IS BEING GOVERN TODAY BY A FAILED FORMER ADMINISTRATOR OF LAGOS STATE.RAUF EXCEL IN LAGOS WHERE OYINLOLA FAILED WOEFULLY.
WHATEVER BAD SITUATION OYINLOLA MIGHT HAVE PLUNGE THE LIVING SPRING RAUF WILL REVAMP IT.TRIBUNAL SHOULD GO AND BURY THEIR IN SHAME.IT’S UP TO THE NJC TO DO JUSTICE.
KASHINRO
Ola (London)
14 July 2008 12:36I have read with interest the defence by Kunle Kalejaiye SAN on the text messages and voice calls. He concluded by saying if he dies, his blood would be on the head of the NEWS and members of staff of the same.
My response to that is, if indeed anything happens to him, he would have brought upon himself.
I have only one question for him. DID ANY CALL/TEXT PASS BETWEEN HIMSELF AND ANY OF THE SITTING JUSTICES WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE OPPOSING COUNSEL? if the answer to that is yes, then the tribunal sitting should be annulled and another reconvened asap. The justices should be disrobed and sent to jail. KK himself should be disbarred. If however the answer is NO. then I am the first to offer my apologies and hope he will recover from the harm done to his ‘good name’ by the NEWS. I doubt seriously if he would be able to say NO.
In the words of the bible, IF YOU ARE GUILTY OF ONE SIN, YOU ARE GUILTY OF ALL THE SINS. If he sent ONE text message/ voice call, the case is closed.
Mike Eko
15 July 2008 15:53Since MTN has told Kalejaiye they can only release their call logs to, amongst others, the subscriber, he should simply ask MTN to release to him his ‘correct’ call log over the last six months which he should then publish. That is the shortest way for him to prove that the one published by the NEWS is fake.
CHIBUZO OGBONNA
15 July 2008 15:59Mike, I concurr.Kalejaiye kindly get your call log for the past six months and publish same.Better still, sue the NEWS for defamation or accept this shameful act.
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