A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has fixed February 4, 2026, for the case filed by the Nigeria Police Force against two lawyers, Victor Giwa ans Bukola Ibitade.
The police had accused Giwa of forging the letterhead paper of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Awa Kalu.
During the proceedings on Monday, prosecution counsel, Theophilous Silas, sought to move a motion to revoke Giwa’s bail, saying it was the business of the day.
He sought the nod of the court to proceed to move the motion.
But Giwa’s counsel, Mr Farooq Akanbi, from the Chambers of Ahmed Raji, SAN, objected, saying he has just been briefed and will need time to go through the files and motions filed so far in the case.
He told the court that his firm had been briefed only the previous day, explaining that Raji, SAN, had intended to personally handle the case but was unavailable due to another engagement.
He prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable him prepare for the case.
At the last adjourns date, Giwa appeared for himself as counsel in the matter but before Monday’s proceedings, he decided to hire a counsel to appear for him.
Counsel for the second defendant, Ogbu Aboje, countered the argument by the prosecution, saying that the adjournment was not at the instance of the defendants.
Aboje urged the court to be guided by its records but appealed for restraint.
He disclosed that he had personally contacted Raji, who confirmed that he had been briefed just a day earlier and intended to take over the case.
Aboje also informed the court of a pending application by the first defendant seeking to relist an earlier motion that had been struck out, urging the court to hear it in the interest of justice. He added that the second defendant did not oppose a short adjournment.
The police is prosecuting Giwa and his co-accused, Bukola Ibitade, for allegedly forging the letterhead paper of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Awa Kalu.
But Awa Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode. Egebtokun, denied the forgery of his letterhead paper, adding that he never made such a complaint.
Despite the letter in which Awa Kalu distanced himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Giwa and his co-accused, Bukola Ibitade, the police went ahead to press charges.
Kalu, in the letter dated May 30, 2025, and addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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