The Nasarawa State Judicial Service Commission, JSC, has dismissed Chief Magistrate Emmanuel A. Jatau following allegations of judicial misconduct, forgery, and abuse of power in the controversial case involving Chioma Okoli.
Jatau, who previously served in Masaka, Nasarawa State, was demoted from Chief Magistrate II (GL 15) to Senior Magistrate I (GL 14) before being relieved of all magisterial duties.
The decision came after a petition submitted in August 2024 by human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, accused Jatau of issuing unlawful arrest and remand warrants against Chioma Okoli.
Effiong’s petition detailed how Jatau allegedly facilitated the police’s actions to arrest Okoli, a Lagos resident, and transfer her to Nasarawa State under fabricated warrants. The petition argued that the purported offences fell outside Jatau’s jurisdiction, rendering his actions illegal.
The Nasarawa JSC disciplinary proceedings revealed that the Magistrate Court in Masaka bore an official stamp from the Federal High Court in Lagos, signed by an official, which Effiong claimed was a forgery used to justify Okoli’s arrest.
The Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa JSC, Yahaya Yakubu Shafa, confirmed the disciplinary action in a statement, noting that the Commission’s Committee for Appointments, Promotions, and Discipline, CAPD, had investigated the case thoroughly.
“The findings and recommendations made by the committee were approved at the regular meeting of the Judicial Service Commission held on December 6, 2024.
“Hon. Emmanuel A. Jatau has been demoted by one grade level and stripped of his magisterial duties,” Shafa said.
Recall that the case originated from a Facebook product review in 2023, where Okoli criticized a tomato paste product by Erisco Foods Limited, alleging it contained excessive sugar.
The company’s CEO, Eric Omeofia, claimed the review damaged his business, prompting police involvement.
Okoli was arrested in September 2023 and subsequently arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja in May 2024 on charges of conspiracy and cyberstalking.
Her detention at the Suleja Correctional Centre sparked public outrage, with her lawyer, Effiong, raising concerns about violations of her fundamental rights.
During the legal proceedings, Okoli reportedly suffered a miscarriage, intensifying criticism of the handling of her case.
Okoli continues her legal battle against Erisco Foods Limited and the Nigeria Police Force in a pending case before the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking enforcement of her fundamental rights.
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