The Federal High Court sitting in Warri has issued a Form 48 – Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order against the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General of Delta State, Ekemejero Ohwovoriole, SAN.
The notice warns of potential imprisonment for contempt of court following allegations of procedural misconduct in the ongoing criminal trial of child rights advocate Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, in Charge No: FHC/WR/92C/2022 – Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho.
Dated June 13, 2025, and signed by the Registrar of the Court, the contempt notice was triggered by a formal complaint filed by Aghogho.
According to the complaint, the Delta State Ministry of Justice, through its prosecuting counsel, J.A. Amahi Esq., submitted an unfiled and unauthorized letter titled “Further Update on Verification Report in FHC/WR/92C/2022 FRN vs. Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho” to the Deputy Chief Registrar.
The document, dated April 8, 2024, was read aloud in open court on April 18, 2024, despite not being officially filed, stamped, or entered into the court’s records.
The court’s warning reads in part:
“Take notice that unless you obey the direction contained in the order of this Honourable Court, or refrain from any act that interferes with the due administration of justice in Charge No: FHC/WR/92C/2022, you will be guilty of contempt of court and liable to be committed to prison.”
The issue arose from a prior directive issued on March 21, 2024, in which the court ordered the prosecution to file a verification report on the residence of the defendant’s surety, Mr. Phillip Biakpara.
Although an initial verification report was properly filed, the subsequent “further update” dated April 8 bypassed standard court registry procedures and raised concerns of procedural irregularity.
The court noted:
“In disobedience of the order of this Honourable Court… this Honourable Court received an unfiled verification titled ‘Further Update on Verification Report in FHC/WR/92C/2022’ dated 8th April 2024 through the Deputy Chief Registrar.”
It added that such conduct constitutes “an unlawful attempt to interfere with ongoing judicial proceedings, mislead the court, and usurp the functions of the registry of this Honourable Court, in flagrant disrespect to judicial process.”
The Attorney-General has been expressly warned to desist from further acts of contempt and to take immediate steps to purge himself of the disobedience. Failure to comply, the court stressed, will result in committal proceedings and possible imprisonment.
This development marks a critical moment in the high-profile and politically sensitive case involving Aghogho, a human rights advocate who maintains that the charges against him are reprisals for his whistleblowing activities against alleged child trafficking and irregular adoption practices linked to the Delta State Government.
The court has fixed June 16, 2025, for the continuation of the hearing.