"We Were Confronted With Proof Of Evidence Against Suspended Judges" - CJN
10:14
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, revealed,
yesterday, that the National Judicial Commission, NJC, asked judges
facing allegations of corruption to step down because it was confronted
with proof of evidence against some of them.
The judges were
arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, between
October 7 and 8, following which the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, and
some senior lawyers asked the judges to stop presiding over cases,
pending their trial.
Two Supreme Court Justices- Inyang Okoro and
Sylvester Ngwuta, were among seven superior court judges affected by
the DSS “sting operation”, which allegedly led to the recovery of huge
sums of
money, including foreign currencies, from their homes.
The
two jurists, who had since exited the apex court bench, are currently
on administrative bail from the DSS, pending their trial over money
laundering charges.
The CJN, who disclosed this while swearing in
two new Justices into the Supreme Court bench, yesterday, said the NJC,
which previously insisted that the Judges would not step aside as
requested by the NBA, changed its position after it was shown “evidence
on the ground.”
According to him, the NJC took the new stand,
“following communications it received from the Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice that he was embarking on the
prosecution of the affected judicial officers based on the evidence on
the ground.”
He said the decision NJC took after its last
meeting, directing all the embattled Judges to desist from further
presiding over cases or carrying out any judicial function pending their
trial, was borne out of its desire to preserve the independence of the
judiciary.
He said: “We proclaimed to the world that any judicial officer that is standing trial will cease to perform judicial functions.
“A
common thread that runs through all Judiciaries is that judicial
officers are traditionally accorded the highest dignity and respect by
all.
‘’This is because Justice is rooted in confidence and where
confidence in our Judges is undermined and independence eroded, it is
the nation that ultimately suffers most, while true democracy is fatally
undermined.
“We must not forget that we operate a constitutional
democracy, which clearly prescribes the powers accorded to each organ
of the state.
“I, therefore, wish to state without fear of
contradiction that the third arm of government will remain resolute in
its commitment and resolve to uphold its independence and to adjudicate
with utmost fairness and Justice as prescribed in our constitution and
the law.”
On the swearing-in of the two new Supreme Court
Justices, Amina A. Augie and Ejembi Eko, the CJN said they joined the
apex court “at a time when there are a lot of challenges”.
While
enjoining the new jurists to abide by the oaths they took and dispense
Justice without fear or favour, the CJN, thanked President Muhammadu
Buhari and the Senate for approving their appointments as recommended by
the NJC.
He said: “Now, more than ever, it is important to be
firm, honest and steadfast in the discharge of your duties, while
striving to emulate the greats of this court by enthroning the rule of
law and respect for our courts.
“My lords, ladies and gentlemen,
this ceremony takes place against the backdrop of peculiar circumstances
for the third arm of the government of our beloved nation.
“It
bears reminding that the powers of this court and, indeed, all courts,
lie in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as
amended.
“The constitution is the ultimate repository of the
consent of the people and remains the sovereign mandate that forms the
bedrock of an independent judiciary.”
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