The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, on Tuesday, vowed that the judiciary on his watch would not be cowed into “silence”.
Mr Ariwoola, who assumed office last June, lamented that “the rule of law has been assailed from all fronts in this country, especially by those who are supposed to uphold and guard it jealously.”
The CJN, who was represented by a Justice of the Supreme Court, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, spoke on Tuesday at the conference of attorneys-general of states in Abuja.
“It is no more news that our judicial officers and even court facilities have been variously attacked, molested, harassed and desecrated across the country.
“The judiciary under my watch will not sit by the sidelines and watch the temple of Justice and ministers of Justice being flagrantly chastised and wiped into silence,” the CJN said.
The judiciary has witnessed unprecedented attacks under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
These began with the historic night raid on judges’ homes in Abuja and other parts of the country by the operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) in 2016 over corruption allegations which all crumbled in court.
The administration, through an unconstitutional method, removed the then CJN, Walter Onnoghen, from office in 2019, a move widely seen as taken to intimidate the judiciary in the lead-up to the 2019 elections.
Notorious for scant regard for court processes, the Buhari administration disregarded repeated court orders for the release of Omoyele Sowore, a pro-democracy activist and Sahara Reporters publisher who was detained for calling for a Revolution Now nationwide against bad governance in 2019.
On 6 December 2019, PREMIUM TIMES reported that armed SSS operatives disrupted ongoing proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja in a bid to rearrest Mr Sowore, a presidential candidate in the 2019 and the 2023 elections, after the court ordered his release from custody.
As the SSS officials invaded the courtroom, the judge, Ijeoma Ojukwu, abruptly adjourned proceedings for the day as they pinned Mr Sowore to the ground.
The action was widely described as a lack of respect for the court.
In an apparent reference to various attacks on judges and courts, Mr Ariwoola cautioned, “No one in this country is permitted under any guise to take the law into his or her hands simply because he or she has the guns to wield.”
He urged the commissioners of justice not to “let us (judiciary) down.”
Mr Ariwoola added that judges must not suffer intimidation and heads of courts must be provided with adequate funding from state governors.
The CJN observed that “so many things have gone wrong with the criminal justice chain.” He called for concerted efforts in addressing them.
AGF solicits state govts’ support in fighting corruption
Speaking at the event, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, sought state governments’ collaboration with the federal government in tackling corruption.
He said the essence of the conference was to brainstorm on how best states’ chief law officers can partner with the federal government in addressing socio-legal issues in Nigeria.
“There is no doubt that the support of the states is required for effective implementation and to increase the tempo of the war against corruption,” he said.
The justice minister enumerated other areas of collaboration as “the domestication or review and enforcement of legislations such as the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Child Rights Act, among others.”
He added that the fight against insecurity should not be left to the central government.
Speaking on the theme of the conference, ‘Enhancing Synergy Between the Federal and State Governments in the Administration of Justice in Nigeria,’ the AGF said attorneys-general of states should be guided by the law in the discharge of their duties.
The event was attended by attorneys-general from across the country and the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yakubu Maikyau, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
PREMIUM TIMES
