Story of how Lawyers rush out of Court as Judge threatens to search for Charms

 

Barrister Abdulrazaq Sheu Akorede graduated from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1991 and proceeded to the law school in 1992. In 1993, he had his practice at a law firm in Oshogbo before coming down to Ilorin to join Saka Isau & Co. (SAN). After spending two years, he later pulled out to establish Abdulrazaq Shehu & Co (Akorede Chambers) in Ilorin. 

In this interview with ACTING EDITOR, MUMINI ABDULKAREEM, the former Commissioner of Water Resources and onetime House of Assembly aspirant in the state talks about his most dramatic moment thus far in practice. Excerpts:
There have been so many things that have happened but I will like to go back to 25 years ago. While we were in court in one of the divisions in Kwara, the case was called and the parties were all present. But the judge then made an announcement that whosoever that has diabolical object with him should go out of the court to purge himself.

 I felt it was a bit insulting to me for the judge to have made such public pronouncement because I was wondering what could have warranted such statement. But despite the learned judge’s plea, nobody obeyed him then the last time he repeated it, he announced he was going to go for a search. Surprisingly, I saw many of the lawyers hurried out of the court to purge themselves of the charms they had brought. Though I know such practice exists, but I have never seen such scenario before throughout my practice for people to have the very strong believe that they have to put something in their pockets to win or influence cases. It took some minutes before they returned to the court and we commenced hearing. Up till now, that incident still remains very baffling and strange to me. And there are some lawyers who are still alive today and some are dead that we used to witness drop off diabolic object from their body during cases right in court. The irony is that they don’t even express any shame or remorsefulness about it as if it is the norm. They even demand for any of such objects which mistakenly dropped from their body or pockets openly while in court with pride.