The Society for Rule of Law in Nigeria (SRLN) has described the withdrawal of a police orderly attached to a judge in Rivers State who recently delivered judgment against the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) in Suit No: PHC/1785/CR/2024, as “worrisome, vindictive, and an abuse of power”, urging all Nigerians to condemn the act.
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In a statement issued on Friday by its Coordinator, Dr. Chima Ubeku, SRLN said the Nigeria Police Force must be reminded that its authority is derived from the people and not imposed upon them. The group urged the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal of the judge’s orderly and ensure the immediate restoration of her security.
SRLN further called on the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the National Judicial Council (NJC), and civil society organizations to unite in defending the independence of the judiciary, warning that “leaving the guardians of justice exposed endangers democracy and the rule of law.”
According to the group, the development has ignited a national debate on judicial independence and police accountability, following a groundbreaking judgment delivered by the High Court of Rivers State in Commissioner of Police v. Joy Uwheraka & Ors (Suit No: PHC/1785/CR/2024).
The judgment, delivered by a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, reportedly exposed grave inconsistencies, abuses of process, and unlawful conduct within the Nigeria Police Force. It not only exonerated innocent citizens wrongly charged with murder but also reaffirmed the supremacy of the Constitution over coercive state powers.
SRLN alleged that in the wake of this bold judicial pronouncement, the police authorities withdrew the judge’s orderly, an act widely viewed as retaliatory and unconstitutional.
“Such an action, coming immediately after a decision unfavorable to the Police, sends a dangerous message that judges who refuse to rubber-stamp abuse may be punished,” the statement warned.
The court, in its detailed ruling, meticulously dissected the prosecution’s case, exposing contradictions, false testimony, and fabricated evidence advanced by police witnesses. It found that the officers who testified as prosecution witnesses contradicted themselves under cross-examination, fabricated statements, and failed to establish credible evidence of guilt against the twelve defendants who had been arbitrarily arrested and charged with murder following a roadside altercation.
The judgment further revealed that the so-called “eyewitnesses” among the police gave mutually inconsistent testimonies, often contradicting video and forensic evidence tendered by the prosecution itself. Exhibit P23A a video recording of the scene — showed that the defendants were unarmed, unaggressive, and non-violent, directly disproving the police narrative that they had killed a female officer with planks and stones.
In what the group described as a “rare show of judicial candour,” the court condemned the Police for manufacturing evidence, coercing statements, and “speaking from both sides of the mouth.” The judgment described the prosecution’s conduct as “a gross abuse of the criminal process that offends the conscience of justice.”
Consequently, all twelve defendants were discharged and acquitted, reaffirming the principle that justice must not be built on deceit or oppression.
SRLN noted that shortly after the verdict, the police’s withdrawal of the judge’s orderly amounted to an unmistakable act of institutional reprisal and an attack on judicial independence.
“The action against the Rivers State judge is a litmus test for Nigeria’s democracy,” the statement concluded. “It is a moment for the nation to decide whether it will allow fear to silence the fearless. The judiciary’s independence is the heartbeat of any free society. To punish a judge for doing her job is to erode the very foundations of that freedom.”
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