By Esindu Jacobs
A drama played out at the Ogidi High Court, Idemili, North local government area of Anambra state, when Justice Irene Ndigwe, scolded a plaintiff for seeking to transfer her case out of her court.
She vehemently told the plaintiff, Patricia Onuorah, that she refused the settlement option thinking she could win a case against the Church.
It was in the property case between the late Juliana Onuorah and her daughter, Patricia, against the Catholic Church, led by Archbishop Valerian Okeke.
The matter, which had lasted some Yeats , had witnessed the death of some of the lawyers handling the matter, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN in recent times.
After the death of the first plaintiff, Chief Mrs Juliana Onuorah, the second plaintiff, Patricia, sought to transfer the matter to another court, her reason, best known to her.
But the decision annoyed the presiding Judge, Justice Ndigwe,who had scolded the plaintiff for the delay in prosecuting the matter, when she threatened to strike out the case if it continued.
Counsel to the plaintiffs, Sylvester Oni, had told the judge that his clients were not in the know about the date, coupled with the fact that the Administrative judge traveled out of the country.
But the presiding Judge shouted the lawyer down, wanting to know the reason why the plaintiff was seeking for transfer of the case out of her court in high voice.
She did not hide her feelings when she screamed saying that the plaintiff was in court at the last adjourned date, adding, “you think you can win the church”
She further claimed that the plaintiff refused settlement option thinking that she could win in her court.
The defendants were not in court, while the second plaintiff. The case was adjourned to November 9,2023.
