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28th May, 2025
By Eberechukwu Olisaemeka Opara
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria is once again thrust into the spotlight as Hon. Justice M. N. Esowe prepares to deliver a potentially precedent-setting ruling in Suit No.: NICN/LA/48/2025 – Performing Musicians Employers’ Association of Nigeria (PMAN) v. Engr. George Dureke & 13 Ors.
At the center of the storm are deeply unsettling claims. Fruitful Mekwunye and Raymond Lasisi—key beneficiaries of a controversial consent judgment—have allegedly bragged that “the hands of Hon. Justice M. N. Esowe are tied,” insisting she has no choice but to strike out the challenge against their ₦27 million judgment victory.
The suit in question, filed by PMAN President Pretty Okafor, contests the legitimacy of Suit No.: NICN/LA/360/2024, a judgment he argues was obtained through a “legal ambush” orchestrated by Lasisi, Mekwunye, Dureke, and others. According to court documents, the group allegedly filed the suit, served legal documents on themselves at Lobby D, National Arts Theatre—an address unrelated to PMAN’s official headquarters at 4B Hammed Kasumu Street, Chevy View Estate, Lekki, Lagos—and secured a consent judgment without the knowledge or involvement of the recognized PMAN leadership.
The implication? That a powerful industry union may have been hijacked through procedural trickery and a staggering financial transaction.
As Hon. Justice Esowe prepares to rule on the matter, legal and entertainment circles alike are watching closely. The integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system hangs in the balance, especially as claims of judicial compromise cast a long shadow over the courtroom.
For many, it is inconceivable—and deeply troubling—that a litigant would openly declare the amount paid for a judgment and imply that a respected judge’s hands are bound. If true, this strikes at the very heart of judicial independence.
All eyes are now on the National Industrial Court.
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