CSO commends NJC, EFCC’s move to prosecute erring judges

A civil society organisation, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), has commended the Nigeria Judicial Commission (NJC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s decision not to spare judges and lawyers erring on the side of corruption. The executive chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, in a statement said the reported step to be taken […]

A civil society organisation, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), has commended the Nigeria Judicial Commission (NJC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s decision not to spare judges and lawyers erring on the side of corruption.
The executive chairman of CACOL, Mr. Debo Adeniran, in a statement said the reported step to be taken by the EFCC to prosecute the retired judge, Mohammed Yunusa, over bribery scandal and the pronouncement of the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mahmud Mohammed that there will be no more dismissal of corruption cases without trial for high profile citizens has received the accolades of CACOL.
NJC had earlier recommended the compulsory retirement of two High Court judges – Justice Mohammed Nasiru Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Lagos Division and Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede of the High Court in Osun State.
The coalition said the development was a welcomed one  which correlates with its position that the Nigerian judiciary was not impervious to corruption contrary to what the public is being led to believe.
“In CACOL’s view, the situation where corruption criminals via their stupendous ill-gotten wealth simply hire the services of SANs to help them wriggle through judicial trials to escape conviction for very glaring sharp practices must be put behind, for the anti-corruption to achieve success ultimately.
“We therefore welcome this development; it is a step in the right direction. We add, like we have always insisted that anyone found culpable in corruption should be made to face the full wrath of the law without regard to social, ethnic, religious, official etc. status.
“CACOL believes that there are a good number of such bad eggs in the judiciary and we are calling on the government, the NJC, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and other relevant authorities not to relent in their efforts at cleansing this all-important arm of the government and ridding it of its disturbing rots and decay. Justice remains indispensable for our national growth and development,” Adeniran said.