BY ANAYO OKOLI

UMUAHIA – JUSTICE Garuba Muhammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Umuahia, Abia State, has frowned at lawyers who do not respect their colleagues, even in the court.

Umar specifically admonished a police lawyer, Mr. Francis Emereole Orji who appeared before him, warning him to present his objections in civilized manner during court proceedings and desist from shouting at fellow counsel.

He told Mr Orji, who is in charge of Legal Matters at Zone 9 Police Headquarters, Umuahia, that he had no right to shout at people, even in the police.

The Judge was reacting to Orji who not only shouted at his colleagues who attempted to correct him, but also lost his cool on a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Mr. Jerome Okolo.

Orji represented six members of Zone 9 police and the Inspector General of Police in a N1 billion assault suit instituted by a businessman, Chief Marcel Eze.

Not happy with his action, Justice Umar admonished him over his outbursts against his seniour colleagues who tried to correct him, saying that once he left the police station for the court, he should no longer see himself as police officer but as a lawyer who should behave well in the temple of justice, during proceedings.

“Once you are in court and somebody is addressing the court, you raise your objection in a civilized manner. You can not be interjecting at people when they are talking. This is not the first time you are appearing before my court: why are you so temperamental today.

“As the Chairman of one of the branches of the NBA, (referring to Eduzor), if he corrects you on dress code, he is right. Mr. Orji has been prosecuting in this Court before, but I do not know why he is like this today. This is an issue of correction for all members of the bar.

“You can not even shout at a junior counsel not to talk of a SAN. I told you that if you want to present anything or raise objection, you should do that in a civilized manner. Even in your primary constituency, you can not shout on them,” Justice Umar noted.

Lawyers present in court had expressed anger with Orji’s militant nature at any body who talked to him, particularly the SAN.

At apoint they felt that he sounded rude to the SAN among others, prompting the Chairman of NBA Mr. Charles Eduzor to call the attention of the Judge to even Orji’s mode of dressing, which he said was not in tune with the norm.

“My learned friend Mr. Orji seems not to be properly dressed to appear before you”, Eduzor pointed out to the judge.
While he was talking, Orji got up and shouted at Eduzor that if the applicant’s Lawyer (Okolo, SAN) had bought them over to insult him that he would not take it. “If he has bought you over to insult me, I can not take it”, Orji complained.

Okolo who had remained calm throughout the drama, said “I feel quite upset when we allow counsel to be doing as they like. I will urge your Lordship to check Mr. Orji. His behavior in court is most objectionable”.

Not taking Okolo’s comments in good faith, furious Orji said, “it is high time the SAN is called to order, it is high time the said Senior Advocate is called to order, he can not be insulting me like this. It is high time he is called to order.”

Orji later explained why he was shouting saying, “I shouted because I lost my temper. It is because he, SAN, is always referring to me as Police Officer instead of counsel. Any way, if the way I talked to him is not right , I am sorry about it.’’