Justice Olatunde Oyajinmi of Ogun State High Court sitting in Shagamu has expressed concerns over delays in service of court processes by bailiff of the court.
The judge frowned at the bailiff conduct when sitting on a case between Mr Adesola Saloru, Mrs Olawu Olawunimi Muinat Odufolakun who sued for themselves and as a representative of Ayisatu Ogunsowo new Oyekan of Madam Jeminatu Oyekan deceased children against Mrs Funmilayo Odumuyiwa and Solitary Sanusi Oyekan in the suit delineated HCS/165/2017.
Justice Oyajinmi ordered the chief registrar of the court to issue a query to the bailiff for delaying cases in court for not putting the proof of service of processes in court file.
When the case was called, Counsel to parties argued that they have paid bailiff for service of court processes, and they were surprised that the proof was not in court file for over months that baliff effect the services.
The claimant counsel in the suit, Mr Babatunde Oshilaja told court that he was in court a day before the proceedings to ascertain from the registry that the processes filed were in court.
“We have a pending application dated August 26,2020 and file same day. Same application was served on the defendant but no reaction. I served through bailiff. I even came to court yesterday to make sure that all our processes are before the court.”
The defendant counsel, Mrs Lucy Isaac told court that she was suprised, that the application was not served on their chambers even the office within jurisdiction.
The judge had to search through the bulky file that took him so much time and discovered that bailiff did not furnished court with proof of service on counsel on both sides at different times which made the court to adjourned the case.
The development made the angry judge to send the registrar to the bailiff section to call the particular officer, but the registrar reported back that he was not in office.
Justice Oyajinmi said that the bailiff conduct delayed cases that could have been dispense off.
He therefore ordered the chief registrar to issue him query and directed parties to serve themselves processes in the open court.
