The Federal High Court sitting in Warri has issued a formal Form 48 – Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Court Order against the Commissioner for Justice of Delta State, Ekemejero Ohwovoriole SAN.
The notice warned of potential imprisonment for contempt of court following allegations of procedural misconduct in the ongoing criminal proceedings against child rights advocate, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, in Charge No: FHC/WR/92C/2022 – Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho.
The contempt notice, dated June 13, 2025, and signed by the Registrar of the Court, 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 unfilled 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 formally filed, stamped, or entered into the court’s official records.
The Court’s order 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 will be liable to be committed to prison.”
The background to the issue stems from a prior court directive dated March 21, 2024, in which the Federal High Court ordered the prosecution to submit a verification report on the residence of the Defendant’s surety, Mr Phillip Biakpara.
Although the initial report was duly filed, the later “further update” of April 8 was not properly filed and bypassed the court registry’s standard procedures, leading to concerns of procedural abuse.
The Court described the act as follows: “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, in its nature and implication, 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 judicial intervention marks a significant point in the state sponsored sensitive case involving Aghogho, a human rights defender who has maintained that the criminal charges against him are a direct consequence of his whistleblowing activities targeting child trafficking networks and irregular adoption practices allegedly operated by the Delta State Government.
The Federal High Court had fixed June 16 to continue hearing on the matter.
