From the CourtPilot Law

MOST DRAMATIC: Day judge didn’t allow me respond to an argument  – Ijaodola

Barr Prince Joshua Oluwaseun Ijaodola is an Offa born legal practitioner who is currently based in Ilorin. He is an alumnus of University of Ilorin, where he graduated with a degree in law in 2011.

He proceeded to the Nigerian law school, Lagos campus, where he bagged his B.L and was called to the Bar in 2012.

He is currently the Principal partner at Ijaodola & Co, a legal firm he inherited from his late father who was also a foremost legal luminary and the first northern Nigerian lawyer to bag a masters degree in law, he, Prince Oluwaseun has since continue to soldier on to maintain his father’s legacy since 2013.

In this chat with JIMOH SULYMAN, Prince Ijaodola shares his most dramatic moment in his years of practice. Excerpt.

One experience that has remained indelible in my memory, was when I obtained a judgement again a very senior lawyer in a matter involving an auctioneer and their governing body.

It was a fundamental human right issue, whereby my client was defamed and was unjustly expelled from the association on Criminal allegations, without being convicted or even answering a case before any court of law.

The association basically expelled him arbitrarily, without any recourse to the law of the land, he was said to be suspended by the body.

That is why we approached the federal high court, with a complaint of infringement of fundamental human rights and punishment without any trial.

So, I was to argue against a senior lawyer like I said and both of us had a history, whereby we argued on a tenancy case in the past.

After the lawyer had addressed the court, and was suppose to present my case, the lawyer raised some new issues hence the trial judge refused me the opportunity to reply him.

On the ground that, not because there is no new issue to be raised that they’re not issue of law,for example when addressing evidence, therefore the lawyer was able to get judgement.

Fortunately for me at the federal high court, he didn’t file anything meaningful, than to challenge the jurisdiction of the court.

And if I have to file immediately, I would have waken him up from his slumber, so I decided not to file, since the rule gave me 20 minutes to address the court, I took the opportunity to address the issue in point of law.

Boxed to the wall, he had no other choice than to rely on the preliminary objections and some assertions on oath, which I leveraged on.

On the day the judgment will finally come, my client couldn’t even go to the court with me because he was thinking we’re going to lose the case

And in a turn of events, that particular judge awarded probably the highest  damages he ever awarded, whereby he awarded N2million against the defendants in favour of my client.

The opposing lawyer who might have felt he has dominated me earlier turned to enemy in the open court.

I practically ruined their party, because they came to court with fanfare to celebrate in anticipation of a favourable judgement, but reverse was the case.

The respondents and the lawyer couldn’t utter a word to each other till they got to their vehicles, they walked out in a very agonizing manner.

 

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