CONTEMPT: KEYAMO ASKS JUDGE TO STEP DOWN

Festus Keyamo
A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has asked an Abuja High Court judge, Justice A.M. Talba, before whom he is facing a contempt charge, to step down from the case.

Keyamo is facing the contempt charge for failing to comply with an order barring him from making comments on allegations of certificate forgery levelled against the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Inde.

Keyamo is seeking an order transferring the contempt proceedings in motion number M/2917/10 to the Chief Judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for re-assignment to another judge for trial.

In the alternative, Keyamo is asking the court to stay further hearing in the contempt proceedings pending the determination of an appeal he filed against Talba's order summoning him to appear in court.

The court had on April 1 ordered Keyamo to appear before it unfailingly on April 19, 2010 to explain why he should not be sent to prison for allegedly flouting an order restraining him from speaking on the issue of alleged certificate forgery levelled against Inde.