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.
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.”
