Counsel to Abuja-based fertility specialist, Dr. John Abebe, has cautioned against what he described as misleading and prejudicial reports surrounding the ongoing judicial proceedings involving the doctor and his clinic, Joje Abebe Fertility Center Ltd.
The defence lawyer, Marvin Omorogbe, who is a founding partner at Deji Adeyanju & Partners, issued the warning in a statement on Thursday, saying several reports and social media posts about the case had misrepresented what transpired in court.
Dr. Abebe is currently involved in a legal dispute before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, where Adamu Hassan Turaki is listed as the nominal complainant.
In the statement titled “Public Statement on the Ongoing Judicial Proceedings Involving Dr. John Abebe and Joje Abebe Fertility Center Ltd,” Omorogbe said his client had been unfairly portrayed as guilty despite the matter still being before a court of competent jurisdiction.
“Our attention has been drawn to a series of coordinated publications and social media campaign concerning the said proceedings, many of which convey the false and prejudicial impression that our client is guilty, notwithstanding the fact the matter is currently pending before a court of competent jurisdiction,” Omorogbe said.
He acknowledged the critical role of the media in reporting court proceedings but stressed that some reports circulating online had gone beyond factual coverage.
“While we fully recognise and respect the constitutional role of the press in reporting judicial proceedings, we are constrained to issue this statement because several of the reports circulating online materially misrepresent what transpired in court and are accompanied by sensational and defamatory headlines,” he stated.
According to the lawyer, such reports undermine the constitutional principle of presumption of innocence, which is guaranteed under Nigerian law.
He said the publications “disregard the fundamental principle of presumption of innocence guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”
Omorogbe therefore urged media organisations, bloggers and members of the public to exercise caution in their commentary and reportage on the matter.
“In the light of the foregoing, we hereby urge members of the public, particularly media organisations and online platforms to exercise restraint and professionalism in their reportage of the ongoing judicial proceedings,” he said.
The lawyer emphasized that the case remains before the court and should be allowed to run its full course without what he described as “trial by media.”
