About 500 lawyers Monday storm the premises of the Supreme Court in Abuja to protest what they call the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s violation of the rule of law in their attempt to arrest former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello.
The EFCC has accused Bello of laundering N80b of public funds and Wednesday last week laid a siege to his Abuja residence in a bid to arrest him. The Lawyers under the aegis of the Judicial Watchdogs, argued that the siege on the former governor’s abode was against a Kogi High Court order that had instructed the EFCC to stop harassing Mr. Bello until the suit he filed challenging the EFCC’s case against him is resolved.
Co-Convener of Judicial Watchdogs, Barrister Sylvanus K. Alewu said not only has Bello’s fundamental rights been breached, but that the judiciary had also become willing tools in the hands of enemies of Nigeria’s rule of law.
“It has become pertinent again that we address well-meaning Nigerians on the current attacks on the Judiciary by the very institutions created by law to enforce and guarantee the sanctity of our judicial processes.
“As young lawyers, we envisage a judiciary where justice is not only done but also seen to be manifestly done. It is in our patriotic quest to always pursue ventures that guarantee an independent judiciary that dispenses justice without fear nor Favour that we formed this civil society of lawyer
“We are therefore perturbed that desperate politicians and corrupt elements in our polity are working very assiduously to bring the judiciary that sacrificed its all to guard its jurisdiction jealously under the military regime to public odium and opprobrium.
“It is more worrisome that even the very institutions that are created by law to enforce our laws have become willing tools in the hands of enemies of our rule of law and the judiciary to harangue our judges and bring the justice system to public ridicule.
The current case between the EFCC and Gov. Yahaya is the most heinous of such instances. It is sickening that the commission will move to lay siege and even attempt to arrest the former governor of Kogi state despite being served a valid court order that restrains them from doing so and without vacating the said order.
“The events of the past few days are capable of eroding the many gains and national acclaim the commission recorded and enjoys from the majority of Nigerians who see the establishment of the commission as the greatest intervention to the endemic corruption that has rocked our public service and government institutions since the return of Nigeria to democracy in 1999.
“The only succour is that the current president of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a leader who gave his all to sustain our democracy. The president, at one point, became a victim of political witch-hunt.
“We have submitted petitions to the Nigerian Judicial Council and Mr. President asking that they use their good offices to call the EFCC to order and stop any form of abuse and disobedience of court orders,“ said Barrister Alewu
