OZEKHOME VS ARIBISALA: GUTTER FIGHT IN COURT

“Ko ju ma ri bi
Ese logun e”
In his court, the honourable Justice Kazeem Alogba of the Lagos State Judiciary has a reputation of being firm and in control. Hardly shaken by any-thing the judex not only reign there but also rule.
However about two weeks ago, in the face of an impeding-turbulence coming from unexpected and exalted quarters, the honourable Judge considered it expedient to rise hurriedly and move quickly to the safety and sanity of his chambers.
The hurried exit of the judge could be traced squarely to the wonderful, impressive if not memorable performance and conduct of two of the statutorily recognized leaders of the bar, who were appearing in his court on the 8th of June 2010.
The first was Mr. Ajibola Aribisala a senior Advocate of Nigeria and who grabbed the silk in 2004. The second is Mr. Mike Ozekhome, a senior advocate of Nigeria too and who was transported into the inner bar, only a few months ago.
According to our sources, trouble erupted in the hearing of the case of claimant in the case of ID/178/2000 vs Zenon Petrol & Gas Ltd & Ors. The counsel for the claimant was Mr. Ajibola Anthony Aribisala who had earlier on secured a mareva-injunction against the defendants in the matter. However the defendants brought various application to the effect that the claimant had secured the order by misrepresenting material facts to the trial court and that same should be discharge.
On the fateful date we learnt that the claimant’s counsel Aribisala sparked off the ugly scene when he reacted in unsavoury terms to Mr. Mike Ozekhome who was seeking to regularize some part of his processes while Aribisala was making certain submissions to the court.
This effort was considered by Mr. Aribisala as bothersome interjections into his own presentation where upon he snapped at Ozekhome – “Sit down baby SAN!”
The deliberate and calculated slur hit Ozekhome harder than a wasp’s sting. Immensely proud himself, a maddened Ozekhome, forgot all decorun as he shot at Aribisala “You are a gorilla. You dare call me a baby SAN. I am five years your senior at the bar and if not for our system, how can the likes of your become a SAN…
By this time Mr. Justice Alogba had “vamoosed” from the court. With the exit of the judge, the two ‘fighting’ senior advocates tore into each other thoroughly, flinging abuses at each other like fish-mongers’ wives. For example while Aribisala called Ozekhome a goat, Ozekhome shouted that Aribisala was a big buffoon.
It was clear to all that the fighting duo had lost all sense of proportion at that point and so heated had they become that they could easily come to blows and further descreate the bar and the temple of justice.
It was then that some of the other silks in courts like Badejo SAN and Kemi Pinhero SAN intervened by persuading a still fuming Ozekhome to leave the court and so put an end to the show of shame.
The Squib learnt that a little while late, the judge summoned all the counsel in the matter to his chambers and calmed down frayed nerves. The court thereafter sat and hearing in the matter continued.