DILKON VS FWENJI: COURT SETS DATE FOR RULING ON P.O.





DILKON VS FWENJI: COURT SETS DATE FOR RULING ON P.O.

BY UDANTE UGANTE
26TH FEBRUARY, 2018

The case between Hon. Leonard Dilkon and Evangelist Danjuma Goshen Fwenji came up today at the Magistrate Court Bukuru. Dilkon has dragged Fwenji to court accusing him of enticing his wife Mrs. Joy.

When the case file was called, counsel to the defendant Chief Smart Irabor told the court that the matter was for address and that they have a motion before it dated 8th December, 2017 and filed on 11th December, 2017 informing the Honourable Court that the matter which has been brought before it to entertain an issue of enticement was submitted for adjudication before Plateau State High Court presided over by Hon. Justice David Mang in Suit No. PLB/J363/2014 and judgment was entered in favour of the defendant and the matter was, res judicata. Counsel added that the complainant, dissatisfied with the judgment of the Plateau State High Court has proceeded on appeal against the defendant and that the appeal is currently pending before the Jos Division of the Court of Appeal.


The defence counsel said that consequently, the current case before the magistrate court was an abuse of court process because according to him, all the issues relating to the enticement which is the subject matter before the magistrate have been adequately ventilated by all parties before the High Court of Plateau State who in turn has pronounced on all submissions by parties. He further said that in the light of the above, the Magistrate Court had no power to entertain the suit for lack of jurisdiction. According to counsel, “this Honourable Court cannot confer jurisdiction on itself in a matter that is already decided by High Court of Plateau State otherwise, this court may be accused of delving into a matter which is res judicata”. Counsel said that they had a written address to further help the court and applied to adopt same as their oral argument.

Responding, counsel to complainant, Francis Okafor, Esq. urged the court to strike the written address because according to counsel, it was baseless, useless and a distraction to the court and the complainant who wants justice for having his wife enticed. He said, “This case is a summary trial, which means documentation can only be ordered by the court. In this case, counsel to defendant went ahead to the written address without the consent of the court which is very wrong”.

Counsel also said that res judicata is not in any way related to criminal matter but a civil expression and has no place whatsoever in criminal case. On the matter that was decided at the Plateau State High Court, counsel said that the complainant in the current matter was a respondent and not complainant as erroneously held by counsel to defence adding that the subject matter of the case that was decided at the Plateau State High Court was a civil matter and not criminal. Therefore, the application on the face of it according to him, was incompetent and liable to be dismissed and urged the court to so hold.

The court adjourned the matter to 13th March, 2018 for ruling.
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