SaharaReporters has obtained a petition in which the Chief Judge of Enugu State, I.A. Umezulike, and the Director of Litigation and High Court Services in the state, Vincent Aneke, are accused of forging a judgment of the old Anambra State. According to the petition, Mr. Aneke’s duties include signing and certifying orders duly made by judges in the Enugu State High Court.

The petition, dated November 25, 2015 and addressed to Nigeria’s Attorney General, disclosed that Justice Umezulike and Mr. Aneke fraudulently signed documents claiming that the Chief Judge had delivered judgment in a land case in 1985. The petitioner, Peter N. Eze, stated that Justice Umezulike and Mr. Aneke colluded to sign and provide forged documents of an ostensible judgment by the Chief Judge in 1985, even though Justice Umezulike became a judge only in 1993 and never served as a judge in the former Anambra State. The petition also disclosed that Mr. Aneke, who signed his signature to authenticate the forged judgment, became a lawyer only in 2002, after studying law as an evening student.

Mr. Eze’s petition revealed that Justice P. K. Nwokedi, who was then the Chief Judge of Anambra State, had on June 25, 1985 delivered a judgment awarding a disputed land to the Umunneshi family of Umunaji Ngene, Amechi Uwani, the plaintiffs in the case.

Wrote the petitioner, “Surprisingly, sometime in 2009, Mr. Aneke and the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Hon. Justice I. A. Umezulike forged a judgment order in the said suit, in which Justice Umezulike and Mr. Aneke claimed that Justice Umezulike heard the said suit in 1985 and delivered judgment in the suit. No mention is made in the said Judgment Order, that the suit was heard by Hon. Justice P. K. Nwokedi.” The petitioner attached a copy of the original judgment delivered by Justice Nwokedi as well as a copy of the forged judgment signed by Justice Umezulike and dated June 25, 1985.

The petitioner also disclosed that Mr. Anekesigned the purported judgment dated the same day in 1985, even though it was at least 17 years before he even qualified as a lawyer.

According to the petition, “Justice Umezulike was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1980 and was only elevated to the Bench in 1993 when he was appointed a Judge of the High Court of Enugu State. At the time he signed the said Judgment Order in 2009, Hon. Justice Umezulike knew that he was not the Judge who heard the case, and that he was not a High Court Judge in 1985, and certainly was never a High Court Judge in Anambra State.”

Mr. Eze added: “Similarly, Mr. Vincent Aneke was only called to the Nigerian Bar in 2002 after reading evening law, and was not a lawyer in 1985. He was also not the Director Litigation and Courts Division, in the High Court of Anambra State in 1985.”

The petition disclosed that the fraudulent documents signed by Justice Umezulike and Mr. Aneke was to enable some of the survivors of the original plaintiffs in the case to enforce a judgment that, by law, had lapsed after six years. Mr. Eze revealed that the forgeries empowered the plaintiffs to obtain the assistance of law enforcement officers to effect possession of the Agbirigba Umu-Nensi land that was the subject of the litigation.

The petition pointed out “Justice Umezulike and Mr. Vincent Aneke knew that under the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act and the Judgment Enforcement Rules of Enugu State the fraudulent and criminal enterprise they had embarked upon was illegal.” Mr. Eze stated that, “at the time application was made to enforce the judgment on 5/2/2009, the original parties to the suit were dead and contrary to Order V Rule 2, the dead plaintiffs were not substituted.” He also declared that “Order V Rule 8 requires that as between the original parties to the suit, process should issuewithin 6 years,” adding that it had been more than six years since Justice Nwokedi’s ruling on the case.

Mr. Eze accused both Justice Umezulike and Mr. Aneke of ignoring relevant parts of the law “so as to aid the plaintiffs enforce a judgment which had lapsed.”

“The forged Judgment Order allegedly dated 25th June 1985 was then used by Mr. Aneke to apply to the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, for policemen to enforce the court order,” said the petitioner, attaching a copy of a letter dated March 17, 2009 and written by Mr. Aneke asking for police cooperation.

The petition stated that, on March 27, 2009, Mr. Aneke used court bailiffs, with the connivance of Justice Umezulike, to forcibly take possession of the disputed land.

The petition attached documents showing that the plaintiffs gave Mr. Aneke two plots of land within the disputed land. According to Mr. Eze, the gift of land was a reward for Mr. Aneke’s role in “corrupt activities” and forgery of court documents. The petition stated that, in November 2010, “Mr. Aneke sold the two plots of land to one Agbo Ndubuisi Stephen for a sum of N1 million.” He attached a copy of the receipt issued by Mr. Aneke to Mr. Agbo.

Mr. Eze declared that “a case of forgery, uttering and corrupt practices has been made out against” Justice Umezulike and Mr. Aneke. He regretted that a previous petition submitted on the matter to the National Judicial Council (NJC) through the Chief Justice of the Federation had ended with “a letter written on behalf of the Chief Justice of the Federation informing me that an explanation had been proffered by Hon. Justice Umezulike which was considered satisfactory.”

Mr. Eze added that he had since obtained documents “relating to the alleged gift to Mr. Aneke and his sale of the land,” adding that the documents confirmed that the judgment signed by Justice Umezulike and certified by Mr. Aneke “was procured with a fraudulent intent.”

Below is the photo of the dubious Director of Litigation, Vincent N. Aneke who as at today owns various mansions especially the duplexes and flats at 17, Max Ozoaka Street, RCC Estate, Trans Ekulu, Enugu, despite the fact that his total monthly emolument is not more than N70,000 per month.

It is regrettable that this fraudster is a brother of full blood to Justice Chukwujekwu J. Aneke of the Federal High Court. It is also known that the said Vincent Aneke was due for retirement since 2014, but manipulated his credentials to add additional three underserved years to his service.


Source; http://saharareporters.com/2016/02/19/enugu-state-chief-judge-director-litigation-accused-forgery-fraud

Proud thief.

jiaa, so many educated and respected criminals in this naija.

Mods. This is trending now. Lalasticlala pls do the needful.

Enugu lawyers and their penchant for conversion of people's property. They are majorly estate agents. I know quite many.

Interesting times I tell you all.





But from SR? Hmm


ThefakeStan

So many criminals in our dear nation.
Jail those bastards already

Hummmm








When nigeria will upgrade??

I know so many people will jump to conclusion upon reading this. But this is just a petition, which may or may not have any merit. Lets be careful the way we accuse the judiciary.

k

More information required to make informed comment.

The Judiciary appears to be a stable to be cleaned.

E don tay since man pikin enter front page,make i dance small...sekem sekem.
As 4 dat judge wit im fellow crook,make d wind of positive change blow dem go put 4 kirikiri.
Nonsence.

If he is found guilty then he should face the full wrath of the law.

As this is just a petition, it's pointless assuming conclusions.

Corruption...

ramaju:
Enugu lawyers and their penchant for conversion of people's property. They are majorly estate agents. I know quite many.

Name them

Sahara reporterers always on point.

Justice P K Nwokedi, that's a name many kids here cannot relate with, the man was a legend in his time..

Arrest them all. That serves them right .

THIS LEGAL JOB HAS GONE TO THE DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ramaju:
Enugu lawyers and their penchant for conversion of people's property. They are majorly estate agents. I know quite many.

. My brother Ramaju, pls do not make such a general statement. I'm a lawyer and based in Enugu but I have not converted anyone's property.

£@%*^ People!!!

They are always like that

Mentcee:
. My brother Ramaju, pls do not make such a general statement. I'm a lawyer and based in Enugu but I have not converted anyone's property.

So sorry brother. It just that I have seen a lot of ills from your colleagues and some of their activities are tainting the glamour and honour of the noble profession. I probably over generalized. One of these days we will meet and share some drinks in somewhere like MIKASA.

utonwa4u:
Name them

For them to sue my sorry ass to high heavens?

ramaju:
For them to sue my sorry ass to high heavens?

don't worry, I'll there to defend u

ramaju:


So sorry brother. It just that I have seen a lot of ills from your colleagues and some of their activities are tainting the glamour and honour of the noble profession. I probably over generalized. One of these days we will meet and share some drinks in somewhere like MIKASA.

Fresh fish and Campari for your bro. Cheers.