Adamawa court jails ex-REC’s lawyer for contempt

A high Court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State, has ordered the imprisonment of M.K. Tijjani, counsel to sacked Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Ari Yunusa, for contempt of court.

Justice Benjamin Lawan Manji, yesterday, sent Tijjani to Yola Correctional Centre for what he described as “insolence and dishonourable conduct” during court proceedings.

At the resumed hearing of the case, Tijjani refused to announce his appearance when the matter was called, and instead, turned away from the judge. When prompted to introduce himself, he retorted that he was not a party to the case, adding that he had only held a brief for another counsel at the previous sitting.

His defiant attitude irked the court, prompting Justice Manji to order him to remove his robe and step into the witness box to explain why he should not be held in contempt. However, while in the witness box, Tijjani maintained the same disrespectful stance, leading the judge to commit him to prison for contempt.

The Guardian gathered that this is not the first time Tijjani had clashed with the court. During an earlier proceeding on January 23, 2025, he attempted to record the session with his mobile phone. When Justice Manji intervened and ordered him to stop, the lawyer defiantly insisted that no law prohibited him from recording the proceedings.

The courtroom descended into further tension as Tijjani openly challenged the judge’s authority, claiming that no one could prevent him from using his phone. It took the intervention of Chief L.D. Nzadon, counsel to the prosecution, to pacify the situation, urging the judge to exercise restraint.

With yesterday’s ruling, the court has now made it clear that it would not tolerate any act of disrespect or defiance within its chambers.