DRESSING – CITY LAWYER MAGAZINE

EMEKA NWADIOKE
Sep 21, 2022
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SHOCKER: LASTMA OFFICER FIGHTS ECONOMIC CRIME, DETAINS ‘YAHOO BOY’ (VIDEO)

There was palpable confusion as a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officer, one G. Bakare barred a bus driver from riding with a passenger on the allegation that he is a ‘Yahoo boy.’

‘Yahoo boy’ is a euphemism for someone engaged in financial scams.

In several trending videos posted by the victim, Mr. Ibrahim Koletowo on his Twitter handle @Ibrokolet, he was seen vigorously protesting the action of the LASTMA operative who insisted that the bus driver must not proceed on his journey unless he dropped Koletowo.

His words: “This morning on my way to work, at berger iyana oworo a lasma officer (mr bakare), accused me of being a yahoo boy because I dressed the way I can, I entered the first bus he said he will arrest the driver if he take me to my destination, he did the same to the second driver.”

Interventions by another LASTMA officer and other passengers could not resolve the impasse, even as the officer threatened the driver saying: “I have what I will do for you.” The bus driver feared that he would be punished by the officer on subsequent trips, saying that was his regular route.

An apparently angry Koletowo was heard pouring invectives on the LASTMA officer and wondering whether arresting ‘Yahoo boys’ was part of the duties of LASTMA. He vowed that he would not be intimidated “in my community.”

The officer also directed the bus driver to “off that engine; carry another passenger,” as he lounged to remove the car key. He was heard telling the passenger that “Na Yahoo boy you be!”

While many commentators saw nothing wrong with the passenger’s dressing, some berated him for using abusive language on the LASTMA officer.

Said Yemmy Stunner @yemmystunner: “So lasma don dey catch yahoo boy 😂😂😂 Very soon NURTW go start dey mount road blocks for Lagos oooh….”

On his part, Segun Johnson @seggiejohnson said: “OMG! God help Sanwoolu with his subjects. Everyone is hostile, aggressive and so have become timed-bomb. The LASTMA officer was wrong but Ibrahim’s reaction was even worse than Bakare’s. It’s a case of 2 live positive wires connecting each other. Dangerous society. Just passing.”

CITY LAWYER could not confirm at press time whether LASTMA has reacted to the incident.

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EMEKA NWADIOKE
Jun 23, 2022
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HIJAB: ‘WHY LPDC CAN’T SANCTION OMIRHOBO,’ BY OKUTEPA

• HE DIDN’T DISRUPT PROCEEDINGS, JUSTICES DIDN’T NOTICE HIM

• HE IS MERE PUBLICITY SEEKER ….

One of the longest serving Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) prosecutors at the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC), Mr. Jibrin Okutepa SAN has said that the committee cannot not punish activist-lawyer, Chief Malcolm Omirhobo for the manner he dressed before appearing at the Supreme Court today.

In a post he made on a CITY LAWYER WhatsApp forum, the fiery senior lawyer said that contrary to some comments on Omirhobo’s appearance in court, he also did not disrupt proceedings at the Supreme Court. Some reports had stated that the Supreme Court was discomfited and rose abruptly upon sighting the activist-lawyer.

Said Okutepa: “I was in the Supreme Court. Dapo Akinosun SAN and Chief Philip Ndubuisi Umeh SAN and Attorney General of Enugu State were (also) in Court. While I salute his desire to pass a message that we need to be careful how we introduce religion in our profession it will be wrong to say he disrupted proceedings. He did not.

“He appeared dressed like as shown above but he did not disrupt the proceedings or announce appearance for any party in any of the cases listed on the cause list for today. The Supreme Court Justices did not even notice him. He only came in and sat down.”

The senior lawyer however said that Ormihobo failed to earn his respect by not confronting the Supreme Court justices on the hijab ruling, adding that he is merely a publicity seeker. His words: “He would have earned my respect if he had stood up to announce appearance and appear in any of the cases or if he has a case there and he appeared like that and draw the attention of their lordships to his presence. I think he just came to seek for social media publicity. He did not confront those who delivered the judgment.”

When CITY LAWYER asked the former LPDC prosecutor whether Ormihobo could face disciplinary proceedings for his action, Okutepa said: “For what? Those who think he has done the wrong thing should complain. He just dressed as he liked. He did not appear in a case to conduct proceedings.”

Pressed on whether the dressing did not breach the lawyers’ code on dressing, he said: “This man did not appear in Court as lawyer. He just dressed like that. He should have been bold enough to stand up and announce himself as lawyer in Court. Until he does that, all he did was just to attract media attention. When Daniel wanted to let Nebuchadnezzar know that he served in living God, he confronted the king personally and was firm in his stand that the king was wrong. Those kings were sitting. He did not confront them. He has not done anything for him to be sent to the den of lion or fiery furnace as Nebuchadnezzar did to Daniel.”

He again noted that the situation may be different if Ormihobo were to appear in the same attire to argue his case in court. His words: “Let him first exercise his right of dressing as he likes in his religious attires in court proceedings. It is then we can think of whether he breached the rules of professional conduct. Mark you the judgment of the Supreme Court on hijab is not a license for lawyers to dress anyhow.”

Ormihobo has vowed to appear in court and argue cases in the same attire.

While several lawyers’ platforms on social media have been buzzing with the dramatic appearance, with lawyers sharply divided on the fate that should befell Ormihobo, the Supreme Court, NBA and Body of Benchers are yet to comment on the issue.