The Chief Judge of the Ekiti State,
Justice Ayodele Daramola, is to brief the National Judicial Council on
the crisis rocking the state judiciary at its meeting in Abuja today
(Monday).
The council chaired by
the Chief Justice
of Nigeria, Mariam Aloma-Mukhtar, is to among others, review the
development in Ekiti State after political thugs attacked judges in
separate incidents on September 22 and 25 respectively.
On September 22, political thugs invaded
the Ekiti State High Court presided over by Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi
to disrupt proceedings in a case challenging the eligibility of the
Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to contest the June 21 election,
which he won.
The invasion took place shortly after
the judge refused an application to set aside an order abridging the
time for the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate to file his defence in
the case filed by two members of the Ekiti-11, Mr. Adeniyi Ajakaiye and
Olufemi Ajayi.
On September 25, another judge, Justice John Adeyeye, was beaten by some political thugs who also tore his suit into shreds.
On the same day, there was tension at
the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in a matter
between the All Progressives Congress and Fayose.
The NJC had directed the police to
investigate the incidents and also to provide security for courts in the
state to ensure impartial administration of justice.
This followed the closure of all the courts in the state by the CJ who expressed fears over the safety of judges in the state.
Despite the order to the police to
ensure that courts work under an atmosphere of peace without
intimidation of judicial officers, the security agencies comprising of
soldiers, police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps have
since Tuesday took over the premises of the Ado Ekiti High Court and the
Court of Appeal.
There has yet to be any official reason given for the deployment.
Meanwhile, the Speaker House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwwal, and the National Human Rights
Commission, have demanded investigation and prosecution of those that
carried out the attacks on the judges.
Tambuwwal, who, spoke in Ado-Ekiti at
the public presentation of two books-Legacy of Honour and Service, and
Governance and Politics in an election year-written by the Governor, Dr.
Kayode Fayemi, described the attack on the judiciary as “an unfortunate
incident.”
He said, “The judiciary is not only the
last hope of the common man, but it is an institution in the arms of
government that must be respected.
“By the time we decide to take laws into
our hand, who would be there to adjudicate? It is unfortunate, it is
condemnable, it should be investigated and those who perpetrated that
act must be brought to book.”
Tambuwwal urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the 2015 elections were transparent and credible.
“We expect INEC to conduct the elections
with every sense of national commitment or patriotism without any
favour to either of the sides.”
He also said he would abide by the
decision of the House not to discuss the issue surrounding the bitched
$9.3m and another $5.7m arms deals between Nigeria and South Africa.
In a communiqué issued by the NHRC
Governing Council at the end of its third (2014) statutory meeting held
in Owerri State between October 9 and 11, the commission stated that the
criminal law in Nigeria clearly prohibited attacks on the persons of
judicial officers.
“Council views any attack on the
judiciary and Judicial officers as egregious, reprehensible and
deserving of the most serious sanction possible under law.
“Council calls on all relevant State
institutions to deny impunity to such agregiousness by taking
appropriate steps to defend, protect and preserve the integrity of the
judiciary and of the officers who preside in the courts.”
source from the punchng
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