A George Floyd in Enugu State JSC who cannot breathe -By Festus Adedayo

Since George Floyd, the American killed by Minnesota cops uttered that sobering phrase, “I cannot breathe,” a few minutes to taking his last breath, it has become a phrase that speaks to injustice, suffocation of rights and cruel gang-up by powerful people to wangle their ways through their ignoble acts of suppression of rights, not minding the pain they inflict on the other person in the process. In Enugu State, as we speak, a George Floyd, I was told, cannot breathe, because he is being subjected to a cruel chokehold, on account of, ostensibly his name. Interestingly, the Floyd is a Senior Magistrate in the employ of the state’s Judicial Service Commission (JSC). His name is Jude Umezulike, younger brother of the immediate past Chief Justice of the State, late Innocent Umezulike.

Umezulike was said to have been transferred from the Enugu judicial division on September 23, 2019 to his village in Mgbidi as a lone magistrate at the Chief magistrate’s court and duly reported a week after but not without a protest to the Chief Judge on what he termed a punitive posting. On the strength of the protestation, the CJ was alleged to have empanelled a police investigation team to look into a criminal case No CME/554C/2019 COP V CHIEMERIE in which the younger Umezulike had granted bail in accordance with the charge.

The police report, which came out in February 2020 however exonerated the Magistrate. On December 11, 2019, when he delivered judgment in a criminal matter Case No CME/554C/2019, COP V. PASTOR DR SABINUS ONUIGBO  & 4Ors pending before him for three years, the CJ, on December 13, 2019, called an emergency JSC meeting where he was suspended indefinitely without him being accorded fair hearing. He was said not to have been issued any formal queries. He was then suspended on December 13, 2019. On February 26, 2020, he reportedly received queries dated February 2, 2020 after a panel had been set up to look into the matter. The panel was said to have demanded for the queries issued on him and his responses, to which he responded.

The questions which have engaged workers of the judicial commission since Umezulike’s suspension are, how would a magistrate be suspended without being queried? Why would a query now later come after a panel had been set up? What respect for equity is that? With respect to the date of the suspension and that of the date of setting up of the panel, would fairness and justice be said to have been considered in this matter? More importantly, the young magistrate is being discussed in hushed tone as suffering the “sins” of his elder brother, the late CJ, who was said to be in the bad books of the current judicial powers in Enugu State while he was in office. But should justice not be passion and emotion-blind?