The Chief Judge of Delta State, Justice Marshal Umukoro, on Wednesday disclaimed a judgement purportedly delivered by the High Court of Obiaruku Judicial Division in a petition of marriage dissolution between one Jowat Amurun Vs Mrs. Embelakpo Amurun, saying the said order did not emanate from any High Court of the state.

Justice Umukoro, reacted to a publication in a national daily (not The PUNCH) of Tuesday, April 13, 2021, where a judgement was purported to have been delivered and signed by one A. K. Odigwa as the Judge, while the Order of Decree Absolute was purported to have been drawn up and signed by one J. O. Abeke, as the Chief Registrar.

The Chief Judge, in the disclaimer, faulted the purported judgement on several grounds. He said, “That every divorce petition carries a ‘D’ letter in addition to the number of the suit to show that it is a Divorce matter. The purported Suit ‘HCO/13/2018’ did not carry a ‘D’ letter to show that it was a Divorce matter.

“That there is no judge bearing the name, ‘A. K. Odigwa’ in the Delta State Judiciary. Similarly, ‘J. O. Abeke’ is completely unknown to the Delta State Judiciary. No Chief Registrar of the High Court of Justice, Delta State has ever answered that name. Indeed, the serving Chief Registrar of the Delta State High Court of Justice at the time the Decree Absolute was purportedly drawn up and signed was E. Z. Dolor, Esq and not J. O. Abeke as contained in the purported Decree Absolute.”

Declaring the two court processes as fabricated and forged, existing only in the figment of the imagination of the author of the publication, the Chief Judge urged members of the public, security agencies and the diplomatic community to be vigilant always in order not to fall victim of scammers and fraudsters currently on the loose. Justice Umukoro disclaimed and dissociated the Delta State High Court from the purported Judgement and Decree Absolute Order.

Source: The Punch