By INNOCENT ANABA

LAGOS – Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, and Justice Okechukwu Okeke of the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, shouted at each other in open court at the hearing of the case involving Guaranty Trust Bank Plc and Ibadan-based businessman, Alhaji Abdul Azeez Arisekola-Alao.

GTB, in the suit, had prayed the court to declare Alao bankrupt following his alleged failure to repay N6.9 billion loans.  The bank had earlier obtained a mareva order in August, which froze Alao’s assets.

At the hearing of the case, yesterday, Akeredolu, counsel to Alao, told the court that he had filed an application for the discharge of the mareva injunction, granted against Alao by the judge.

GTB’s counsel, Mr. Norris Quakers, SAN, applied for an adjournment, claiming he was just served Alao’s new application on September 27 and that under the Rules of the Court, he was entitled to some time to respond.

Akeredolu and Justice Okeke engaged in hot arguments when the judge directed that parties should put their addresses on  pending applications into writing and simply adopt them on the adjourned date.

Akeredolu: At the adjourned date, the Rules of the court still allow us like 20 minutes to canvass arguments on our addresses. You need to hear us out.

Okeke: When you have it in writing what do you need the argument for.

Akeredolu: You gave a mareva injunction which crippled the business of my clients, this is a serious matter and that is why we must be able to canvass argument when we come.

Okeke: You are free to insist, you cannot teach me what to do.

Akeredolu: It is wrong of you to give an ex-parte order like mareva injunction which should lasts for 14 days and then adjourned the matter till November 7, that is unfair.