Lawyer accuses court of frustrating medical trip, alleges persecution in alleged forgery trial

A lawyer and human rights activist, Barrister Victor Giwa, has cried out over alleged persecution in his trial before Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court sitting in Apo.

In the latest motion he filed before the court, Giwa accused the court of frustrating his trip abroad for medical treatment.

The lawyer alleged that the court has deliberately frustrated his scheduled appointment with his doctors in the United Kingdom, UK, with several adjourments.

“This court has shown ‘personal interest’ in this case and has deliberately adjourned the hearing of my application for the release of my passport from the 25th of May, 2026 to 3rd of June and now to 10th of June, 2026 to deliberately frustrate my scheduled appointment with my GP in UK, of which I have consistently failed the two appointments of 28th May, 2026 and 5th June, 2026.  I rely on the record and proceeding of this Honourable Court on 25th May, and 3rd June, 2026.

“That I am very ill and I have suffered Health challenges in connection to the performance of my heart leading to pressure on pumping of blood causing elevated High Blood pressure of 170/ 120Mhg.

“My application for the release of my passport is for a period of two weeks between July, 5th to July 22nd 2026 to get my medication from my GP in United Kingdom under the support and care of my family to prevent the hazards of partial stroke and cardiac arrest”, he said in the motion.

The Inspector General of Police is prosecuting Giwa for alleged surgery.

Giwa, in the motion, said his trial is a persecution and not prosecution.

According to him, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Legal Matters, the nominal complainant in the matter and some others he wouldn’t want to mention are using the institution of the Nigerian Police Force and have weaponized the court to witch-hunt him for their personal interest.

Giwa added in the affidavit, “That I know of a fact that I’m being persecuted not prosecuted by some persons, other than the acclaimed Inspector General of Police (IGP) using this Honourable Court as weapon against me to settle ‘personal scores’.

“That as a senior lawyer and a senior member of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Garki branch and a member of two Committees (Electoral Reform Committee and NBA Election Observation Group) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) appointed by the National President of the NBA, and as a co-minister in the temple of Justice, I expect the Honourable Court to extend courtesy in the release of my International Passport for my medical care.

“That instead, my persecutors led by a retired AIG, the immediate former Head of Legal of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nominal Complainant and others whose name I will withhold for now, are using the institution of the Nigerian Police force and have weaponized this Honourable Court to witch hunt me for their personal interest.

“That I know of a fact that my application for the release of my passport is for a period of two weeks between July, 5th to July 22nd 2026 to get my medication from my GP in United Kingdom under the support and care of my family to prevent the hazards of partial stroke and cardiac arrest.

“That I know of a fact that my persecutors have deployed government resources and have written to three hospitals to seek for medical opinions concerning my ailment. The copies of the medical opinions are contained in Complainant’s Counter-affidavit in opposition to the Motion on Notice.”

In the charge against Giwa, the police had accused him of forging the letterhead paper of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Awa Kalu, after a petition was raised by the nominal complainant in the matter, Asabe Waziri, a staff of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.

But Awa Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode. Egebtokun, denied the forgery of his letterhead paper, adding that he never made such a complaint.

Despite the letter in which Awa Kalu distanced himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation against Giwa and his co-accused, Bukola Ibitade, the police went ahead to press charges.

Kalu, in the letter dated May 30, 2025, and addressed to the Inspector General of Police, clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Giwa for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.