*Warn against repudiation of judicial independence
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Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, Hon Onofiok Luke, has condemned in strong terms the recent invasion of the official residence of Justice Mary Peter-Odili by law enforcement agents.
Hon Onofiok who expressed grave concern over the development via a statement titled: ‘The Siege at Justice Peter-Odili’s residence: A repudiation of Judicial Independence and an assault on the sanctity on the Nation’s Judiciary’, made available to Parliamentary Correspondents, however, called for an investigation into the invasion with a view to ascertain the rationale behind the incident.
While expressing the Committee’s resolve towards ensuring the reforms in the judicial arm of government, the former Speaker of Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, warned Judicial Officers to desist from any action that could undermine the integrity of the Judiciary.
“It is mind-boggling that in the dusk of 29 October 2021, the Judiciary was once again exposed to public opprobrium, due to the uncanny manner in which the residence of the Honourable Justice Mary Peter-Odili of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, was invaded by law enforcement officials purportedly on an assignment to execute a search warrant, issued by a Magistrate.
“Also disturbing is the fact that the said warrant was revoked by the issuing Magistrate who had discovered that it was procured by the Applicant on the premises of misrepresented facts.
“As a Committee currently interfacing with the Judiciary for an improved judicial reform and justice system, we wish to lend our voice once again, to the repeated call by His Lordship, the Honourable Justice Tanko Muhammed CJN, on all Judicial Officers on the need to exercise more caution in issuing ex-parte, conflicting and questionable orders that are capable of bringing disrepute to our justice system.
“This unfortunate development is also a wake-up call to tighten administrative and supervisory control over the operations of law enforcement agencies in the Country.
“To this end, we empathise with the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation who is constitutionally accountable for the actions and inactions of the law enforcement agents that purportedly executed the said warrant, placing on the AGF, the unavoidable burden of defending his office before the populace.
“On this note, the House of Representative Committee on the Judiciary calls for a discreet investigation to unravel the persons behind this ignoble act, which is capable of straining the existing relationship between the Judiciary and the Executive arms of our democratic government.
“The siege is reminiscent of the 2016 incident, wherein the beat of the night, security agencies invaded private residences of Judicial Officers, which subsequently turned out as an underserved phenomenon, and a dent on our professed independence of the Judiciary, and demanding protection for our Judges.
“As we already know, the judiciary harps on due process in the dispensation of justice and the House Committee on the Judiciary avows to collaborate with the Judiciary and relevant stakeholders to secure the nation’s democracy, since the confidence and respect of citizens in the Judiciary may likely wane if the incidence of this nature continues unchecked.
“We, therefore, condemn in totality such ignoble action and pledge to every effort at ensuring the sanctity of the nation’s judiciary while giving our continuous support to the independence of the judiciary,” Hon Luke stressed.
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