NJC Probe: Group wants lobbyists treated like muderers
A Non Governmental Organisation in Nigeria, Society for Rule of Law in Nigeria (SRLN) has warned lobbyists to steer clear of the National Judicial Council (NJC) probe of allegations of unethical behaviours against the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, President Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Ayo-Salami and six other justices of the Appeal Court.
SRLN said in a release issued today by its National Coordinator, Comrade Chima Ubeku that; "anyone found lobbying to prevent any of the justices from being punished in accordance with the law should be arrested and treated like a murderer!"
It alleged that "some serving and former Chief Judges (CJ) of Southwest States are presently holding meetings in Abuja on the need to prevail on the NJC to thinker with the panel report so as not to disgrace the judiciary."
"We are aware that some serving and former CJs of some States in the Southwest are now in Abuja, canvassing that Justice Salami and his co-accused should be saved from disgrace because in their opinion, punishing them would amount to a disgrace to the entire judiciary.
"We which to ask these CJs and other people that are running around to thwart the probe panel report if they will also be prepared to destroy Nigeria because as it is, Nigeria will be doomed if the judiciary fails to carry out this all important self-cleansing this time.
"Already, the judiciary has been ridiculed and only a total self-cleansing as the full implementation of the NJC probe panel report can restore its lost dignity.
"Or can anything be more disgraceful than a situation where Justice Salami, the number two judicial officer in the country could only 'trust' eight out of over 60 Appeal Court justices to handle election petition cases?
"Can anything be more disgraceful than a situation where judges have turned the court into a father christmas by awarding reliefs not sought by plaintiffs?
"Can anything be more disgraceful than what was done on the case of Osun State where Salami's 'trusted justices' nulified votes in areas where the petitioners themselves adjudged that election was duly held?
"Can there be more disgraceful act than the cancellation of votes in 10 out of 30 Local Government Areas in a State and declaring someone winner based on results of just 20 LGs?
"Or what other disgrace can be brought upon the judiciary other than the one already caused by Salami and his cohorts, who turned our courts into a supermarket where judgments are purchased by the highest bidders?
"Therefore, what is needed to be done is for the credibility of the judiciary to be restored and the only way to do it is self-cleansing, which the NJC probe will achieve.
"The whole world is watching," the group said.