After a mob that besieged the Ekiti State High Court, the venue of the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, reportedly attacked a sitting judge, Justice John Adeyeye, beating him up and tearing his suit into shreds, the State’s Chief Judge subsequently ordered the closure of the court indefinitely.
The Chief Registrar of the court, Obafemi Fasanmi, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti said the closure followed the increasing concern over the spate of attacks by political thugs and their persistent presence at the premises of the Court in the past few days.
Fasanmi lamented that another set of political thugs in their hundreds invaded the court premises again on Thursday and assaulted Justice Adeyeye of the High Court 3 in Ado-Ekiti by beating him up and tearing his suit into shreds.
Indicting the Police for their lackluster role, he said, “The police officers on guard looked unconcerned and disinterested as Judges, Magistrates and other members of staff had to run for their dear lives, while courts properties were either damaged or completely destroyed.
“The court room of the Hon. Chief Judge was not spared in the orgy of assault and destruction as members of staff attached to his office were beaten up and his court record book torn into pieces by these political thugs who also invaded and disrupted proceedings at the Election Petition Tribunal within the High Court premises in Ado-Ekiti.”
Fasanmi said the courts would remain shut until adequate and effective security of our judges, Magistrates, members of the bar, members of staff of the judiciary and other court users was assured and put in place.
