by S’ola Filani

Some yet-to-be identified thugs, invaded the premises of the High Court in Ado Ekiti and engaged themselves in a free-for-all.

They further disrupted proceedings in a case challenging the eligibility of the Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to contest the June 21 governorship election.

The judge, Justice Isaac Ogunyemi, had earlier on Monday delivered a ruling in a suit on the eligibility of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Ayo Fayose, to contest the June 21 governorship election in the state.

The invasion however took place shortly after the judge, Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi, refused an application to set aside an order abridging the time for the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate to file his defence in the case filed on behalf of socio-political group, Ekiti-11 by a member, Mr. Femi Ajakaiye.

The judge had adjourned sitting till 12 noon to prepare a ruling in a similar matter filed by the Citizen Popular Party before trouble started.

As he was preparing to return for the continuation of the matter, the thugs besieged the court.

The hoodlums, numbering about a hundred, tore down branches of a tree within the environment of the court to serve as weapons and attacked those they perceived as opponents in the matter who had come to attend proceedings.

Judges, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), lawyers, journalists, court officials and magistrates had to run for their lives, hiding in offices and court registries under chairs, tables, other places and objects which could serve as temporary hideouts, as the hoodlums engaged themselves.

Justice Ogunyemi soon became a target, as the hoodlums openly condemned his ruling, saying it was partial.

It took the intervention of a team from the special anti-riot squad to save the judge, who was ferried to safety from his office – he was smuggled out of the chambers through the back door to avoid being lynched by the aggressors.