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May
May
CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS DEMAND NJC INTERVENTION OVER JUDICIAL MISCONDUCT IN NIGER STATE
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CapitalTimesNews / 4 weeks
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- 2 min read
A coalition of over 75 civil society organisations (CSOs) has expressed grave concern over a series of disturbing judicial developments unfolding in Niger State. National Secretary of the Coalition of National Civil Society Organisations (CNCSOs), Alhaji Ali Abacha, in a statement, said the actions and inactions of Justice Bilkisu Yusuf of the High Court of Niger State, Minna, have raised questions over judicial integrity and potential miscarriage of justice in an ongoing land dispute case. Abacha said the judge’s decision to continue with hearings despite a pending appeal at the Court of Appeal amounts to a “judicial collision” with the appellate court. “Justice Yusuf took his illegality to the extreme by looking into the sunny face of the Court of Appeal by refusing to stay proceedings even when an appeal over the subject matter has been filed before the Court of Appeal and the Court has already started sitting on the matter,” Abacha quoted. The coalition noted that the judge’s conduct strikes at the very heart of the trust the Nigerian people must have in the justice system to be fair, unbiased, and respectful of judicial procedure and appellate authority. Abacha said the actions of Justice Yusuf do not only endanger the outcome of the specific case in question but also tarnish the sanctity and public perception of the judiciary in Niger State and Nigeria at large. The CNCSOs has called for immediate actions, including an investigation into the conduct of Justice Bilkisu Yusuf by the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the reassignment of the case to a different judge. Abacha said the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) should also intervene in the matter to ensure that justice is done. Abacha warned that if appropriate action is not taken swiftly, the coalition will be left with no option but to mobilize for a mass protest at the NJC Secretariat and other relevant institutions to demand accountability and insist on justice for the aggrieved parties.
