Nasarawa State Judicial Commission demoted Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Jatau after his controversial role in the remand of Chioma Okoli, involved in the Erisco Foods case. Okoli’s arrest, stemming from a social media post, raised concerns over jurisdiction and misuse of judicial authority.
The Nasarawa State Judicial Commission recently demoted Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Jatau following allegations of misconduct related to the controversial remand of Chioma Okoli in the Erisco Foods case. Okoli, who had posted a critique of the company's product on Facebook, was arrested after a petition from Erisco Foods' CEO, Eric Umeofia. She was remanded by the court despite not residing in Nasarawa or committing the alleged offenses there.
The case raised concerns over the magistrate's jurisdiction, as the offenses were related to cybercrime, a federal matter under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. Following a petition by Okoli's lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, the Judicial Commission took action, demoting Jatau from Chief Magistrate II to Senior Magistrate I. The Commission's decision was communicated in a letter dated January 6, 2025, which was sent to Okoli’s legal team. Effiong had criticized the magistrate’s actions, which he described as a violation of legal norms, and called for disciplinary action. The demotion serves as a significant reprimand in response to the alleged misuse of judicial authority in the case.
