Pilot Law

Most dramatic day in court

 

Malik Ismail Babatunde is a qualified teacher whose strong passion for legal profession pushed him to study Law at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, where he bagged his LL.B in 2005. Afterwards, he attended Nigeria Law School, (Enugu Campus) in 2007 and was subsequently called to bar in 2008. He is currently practising under Ayegbami & Co. He shares his most dramatic moment in court withKAYODE ADEOTI. Excerpts:


I’ve had series of dramatic moments in court but the one that struck me most was when I lost a case file, yet the matter went on. I was not aware that the matter was slated for hearing on motion for that day. I was just told when I got to the office in the morning. So, the drama started right from my office where I searched for the case file but couldn’t find it. When it was around 9am, the official time court for sitting, I left in a hurry but without the file, I took another one, I just arranged some documents in it.

While I was going, a lot of things ran through my mind; how to handle the matter because it was in the High Court and the lawyer on the other side was a senior member of the Bar, who I was sure would not take chances.

To make the situation worse, the first defendant was not in court and I’d planned to stand on whatever he says to have a bail out, being the second defendant in that matter, but he was not even within jurisdiction. I was in a very terrible situation and confused. Lo and behold, I put up courage, I made some submissions, but unfortunately, all those submissions were not admitted by the court. When I realised the danger that would befall my client if the application of the other counsel have to go on, I quickly borrowed the process of the counsel that was to move his applications next, I scanned through and was able to build my arguments on it.

At the end of the day, the court adjourned for ruling and when judgement was later delivered, it was in my favour.

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