*As fellow lawyers kick against his improper dressing
Monday June 27, 2022 looked like a day that the response to Lawyer Malcolm Omirhobo’s “unprofessional behaviour” at Supreme Court in Abuja, last Thursday, was ripe as he was stopped from presenting his case while wearing magical dress otherwise called juju attire.
A Federal High Court in Lagos had put a stop to that act, which many have described as contempt of the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, as he was said to have ostensibly orchestrated the strange behaviour to mock and protest the apex court’s approval of hijab as fundamental right of female Muslim students in Lagos State and by implication Nigeria.
The court on Monday refused to hear the case of the human right lawyer after he appeared before it wearing the juju attire.
The presiding judge, Justice Tijani Ringim, asked him to defend in writing why he should be allowed to address the court in the attire.
The lawyer also appeared bare footed with cowries and dangling bells tied around his two ankles making disturbing noise as he walked in and out if the court room.
His lawyer’s wig had two long feathers stuck in two sides on it with strings laced with cowries tied in his two wrists and a red magical wrapper tied round his waist as he wore his black flowing lawyer’s gown and white shirt on it.
Omirhobo first made the strange appearance at the Supreme Court in Abuja in Thursday for appearing in court the same way.
On Monday, the lawyer, who had earlier been cautioned against his appearance as he entered through the gate, retorted, “Who said I cannot be heard? Wait and see. Who said I cannot be heard?”
He climbed the staircase and finally arrived in the court room but was greeted with huge resistance by some lawyers, who disagreed with his appearance before the court in such dressing, arguing that he could not be heard as he was not properly dressed as a lawyer before the court.
Omirhobo said it would be a violation of his right if he was not heard, noting that the rules could not be above the nation’s constitution.
Addressing the Judge he said, “My Lord, the rules cannot supersede the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Upon his argument, Justice Ringim, however, directed him to address the court on why he should be heard the way he was dressed on the next adjourned date in a suit delineated to FHC/L/CS/929/2022; (Chief Malcolm Omihrhobo) sued the Federal Government of Nigeria and others.
The same happened in his second suit marked FHC/L/CS/1392/2021 against the Nigeria Army and two others before the same court.
The court ordered that the address must not be more than five pages with the authorities, and must be filed before the adjourned date.
When his case was called, he announced his appearance as the applicant and some lawyers namely Abdullah Dania, Festus Afeyodion, and Mohammed Adamu told the court that he should not be heard as he was not properly robbed.
Dania said, “I am a lawyer, my Lord can imagine the way my learned friend appears before the court as a professional. The rules that govern us as a lawyer do not allow improper dressing.”
Adamu told the court that he would like to furnish the court with his written submission in line with the direction of the court.
The judge said, “You cannot address the court like this as a professional. I will adjourn your matter and you come and address the court if the rules allow you to appear in court like this.”
Consequently, the judge adjourned to October 10, 2022.
