A lawyer, Victor Giwa, has asked a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to decline jurisdiction in the case brought against him and one other defendant, Bukola Ibitade, by the Nigeria Police.

In a motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction, Giwa argued that the court lacks the power to try him on the charge filed by the police and urged the court to decline jurisdiction.

The police had accused Giwa of forging the letterhead of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Awa Kalu.

However, Chief Kalu, in a letter to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, denied the allegation, stating that his letterhead was never forged and that he never lodged any complaint against Giwa or Ibitade.

Despite the letter formally distancing himself from the allegation of forgery and impersonation, the police proceeded to file charges against Giwa.

In the letter dated May 30, 2025, Professor Kalu clarified that he neither filed a complaint nor reported Giwa to the police for allegedly forging his firm’s letterhead.

During proceedings on Wednesday, counsel to Giwa, Mr. Farooq Akanbi of Dr. Ahmed Raji, SAN’s chambers, informed the court of a pending application challenging its jurisdiction.

He said the application touches on jurisdiction, which goes to the root of the case.

Akanbi said, “The 1st defendant has an application seeking to relist the motion on notice earlier struck out by the court. The applications have been served on all parties. The prosecution served us with a counter-affidavit this morning. This motion should be taken before other pending applications.”

Responding, police prosecutor, Theophilous Silas, said a counter-affidavit had been filed and served but that the court’s copy was yet to be placed in the case file.

He argued that the motion was not ripe for hearing and urged the court to allow the prosecution to move its own motion first.

Counsel to Ibitade, Ogbu Aboje, confirmed receipt of the motion from the 1st defendant and the counter-affidavit served that morning.

He submitted that the jurisdictional application should be taken first, noting that issues had been joined and urging the court to hear it in order to keep the record of proceedings straight.

In a short ruling, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter to February 12, 2026, for hearing of all pending applications.

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