The Nigerian Bar Association has called for an end to the ongoing probe of some judges over allegations of corruption.
The NBA also criticized the strategy employed by the Federal Government in the effort to rid the nation of corruption, saying more attention should be directed towards strenghtening the instititions in charge of intelligence gathering, investigation and prosecution.
The association also demanded the release of the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), and the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (also known as Shi’ite), Sheik Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the NBA President, Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN), said while the continued detention of Dasuki and El-Zakzaky was unjustifiable, judges, who were being probed but were never charged with any offence, should be allowed to resume their judicial functions.
“The NBA wishes to use this opportunity to call on the Federal Government to continually demonstrate religious adherence to the tenets of constitutional democracy. In this regard, the NBA is appalled at the continued detention of certain individuals in blatant disobedience to court orders.
“Amongst these individuals are Sheik Ibrahim Al-Zakzaky and his wife and also Colonel Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser.
“Whilst we recognise the serious charges on which these individuals are held, we nevertheless view their continued detention as unjustified and contrary to the express court orders.
“We call on the government to, without further delay, respect these orders,” he said.
Mahmud continued: “In the same vein, in the wake of the arrest and detention of certain judicial officers by the DSS, the NBA had taken the view that the judges affected should recuse themselves from judicial functions until the investigations and outcome of those investigations were determined, we note that nearly eight months after those investigations were launched, there are some of the judges, who have not been prosecuted or charged before any court of law.
“This situation is completely unsatisfactory and unacceptable.
“The NBA calls on the government to terminate the investigations against those judges to enable them to resume their work as judicial officials.”
